The Daimyō's Wife
by loveneophyte
Summary: As is the custom of the time, Lord Sesshomaru takes a human wife into his household. He agreed to keep her fed, clothed, and to educate her. However, he never promises to love her. Sess/Sango. Dark Themes/Romance/Alternative Universe
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters in the story.

 **Chapter 1** / _Just This Much_

Sango had woken up with a jolt, cold sweat running down her back, her heart beating at a hurried pace against her chest. There was no way she could close her eyes again. She needed the sleep but was terrified of what awaited behind her closed eyelids. It was the same dream, the dream she had been having every night over the last few months. Every time seeming more real than the last. Sango was no stranger to nightmares, after all, she had seen many terrible things and it was only natural for them to reappear in her dreams. Ever since she was a young child, Sango saw images of youkai with distorted faces and terrorizing, sharp teeth. Fellow warriors massacred in battle, blood oozing out of cuts and running down severed limbs to create thick pool of red at their feet. But this dream had none of that.

Sango squeezed her eyes shut to will the memory of the dream way. Just remembering parts of the dream made her feel afraid.

"Sister, are you alright?" Sango heard a concerned voice and open her eyes to look at Kohaku, wide awake and staring at her with concern.

"Kohaku! Go back to sleep, it's not time to wake up yet," Sango responded, a small smiled forced on her lips as she tried to reassure her little brother.

"But, but you are crying, are you alright?" He pressed on. Even if he was the younger of the two, Kohaku still felt a strong urge to protect his sister, and seeing her cry like this was really getting to him.

Kohaku had tried to ignore it for the past week. Sango would toss and turn in her sleep, her voice mumbling words that he could not understand, but the pain in her voice said it all. She was having a nightmare and whatever she was dreaming about was terrifying her. Kohaku tried to ignore it, he knew that it was just a dream and these episodes often lasted for a few minutes before Sango's breathing evened out and she was peacefully sleeping again. However, today was different. Sango had cried profusely in her sleep, letting out a sudden scream that shook Kohaku right out of his restless sleep.

"It was just a bad dream, Kohaku, don't worry," she whispered to him, patting his head and giving him a reassuring, but sad, smile. It was not long before he had fallen asleep again.

0o0o0o0o

The smell of food woke them up both and they rushed to wash their face and hands before heading out to have breakfast with their family. Sango could not remember a time when they had not done this, gather around the fire and enjoy each other's company before separating to complete their tasks for the day. She relished the smell of the warm, even if simple, food her mother prepared as her father told stories of his years as a young demon exterminator. He would tell about near-death experiences, deadly demons who threatened villages, the happy tears of villagers rejoiced when they heard word of the demon's defeat. Her father would commend her training, give her advice on how to improve her performance, Kohaku looking on with curious eyes as he took all the information in. He too had begun training not too long ago. Their mother would look on with a smile, giving each of them a kiss before they set out for the day.

"Kohaku, you sure are hungry this morning," she commented with a smile on her face, pushing more food in his direction to silently encourage him to have his fill.

"Of course, he is my boy, he's gonna get big and strong," their father added with a grin.

"Sango...you aren't eating much this morning," her mother commented with a grimace, "you look tired, are you feeling sick?"

"Sister had a nightmare last night, she was even cry-" Kohaku started before Sango nudged him with her thigh and gave him a disapproving look, "sorry!" He said with a nervous smile.

"Nightmare? What about?" Her mother asked, concern written all over her face as she looked for any answer to be visible on Sango's face. Sango smiled shily and kept eating her food. Her parents pursued the matter no further.

It was to be today, it had been decided over many meetings and consultations between the elders and the fortunetellers. Today, Sango would be married to the most powerful lord of the Western Lands, Lord Sesshomaru. There was little that she knew about him, other than information on his claim to the lordship, there was not much more she was granted. A meeting between her father and the Lord had been had, as was customary in these types of arranged marriages. Nevertheless, her father had very little to say apart from he was a suitable mate.

In her village, courtship and marriage was an important part of a young person's life. Many demon exterminators in her village married early and started families almost immediately. Their profession was one of constant danger, it was a survival technique and as soon as a woman was ready to bear children, many men in the village would start showing interest. In the end, the best ranked man would win the opportunity to marry the woman of their choosing. Women often chose to stay at home but when their husbands were away, were often required to participated in the gathering and hunting of food. Therefore, women had always had a strong role in the household, as both nurturers and providers.

Ever since she was a little girl, she often wondered about her future mate. She imagined he would be tall, intelligent, strong, but most importantly understanding. She did not know if she wanted to give up her training as soon as she were married and hoped to find a man that respected her wishes. The man she dreamed of would be someone of her village, someone she could respect and love. Sango knew that many women did not marry out of love but hoped that she would be an exception to that rule.

As the daughter of a councilman, Sango had led a privileged life. Her father was a serious but very kind man who took great interest in Sango, he was one of the few men in her village that saw past her womanhood and was able to focus on her talent as an exterminator. He trained her just as hard as the men in the village and over time, Sango grew strong, both physically and mentally, ready for any challenge. Her mother was a strong-willed woman. She was not the type to sit around and wait to fulfill the bidding of her husband. After the birth of her daughter and her son, Sango's mother returned to the field, training and joining the demon extermination group, working hard and killing any demon that stood in her path.

Therefore, when news of her arranged marriage had reached her, Sango could not help but laugh, her laughter dying as she saw the unchanging expression on the face of her parents. Sango was in complete shock. How could her parents agree to something so terrible? Why would a demon exterminator marry a demon? The irony of it all baffled her.

"Sometimes we are expected to make sacrifices, to do something so out of the ordinary that we think impossible, for the people we love. This is one of those times, Sango, and I am counting on you," her father had reassured her using words to that effect.

And regardless of any protest she put up, Sango was promised to and set to marry this Lord Sesshomaru, a youkai no less, that she knew nothing of. Most women welcomed their wedding day with a smile and open arms but for Sango, it marked the beginning of a lifelong battle with misery.

The day moved slowly, but even that did nothing to quench the feelings of dread turning in her stomach and making her feel ill. There was no feeling of excitement, Sango may not have known much about Lord Sesshomaru but what she did know was what mattered the most: the relationship between a youkai and a human was frown upon, even in instances of political agreement. While there would be no denying the legitimacy of this marriage, the amount of respect, freedom, and responsibility that she would get from her youkai husband was entirely depended upon him. And Sango had an increasing suspicion that it would not be in her favor.

While life after a woman was sent to court was often kept under wraps and in whispers among friends over meals, Sango had heard instances of youkai treating their human wives more like courtesans, enjoying the pleasure of their company like a common man might enjoy the company of a woman in a brothel. They could be subjected to abuse from their husbands or other members of the family with little to no consequences. The human wife would not be able to stop her husband from external affairs, taking on a second or third wife, or even choosing a mate to bear pureblooded children. In Sango's eyes, it was a fate just as bad as slavery. She wanted to feel angry, to despise her parents who were her sole protectors. But, in the back of her mind, Sango knew that this was a decision beyond their hands.

When the sun was directly overhead, Sango was whisked away into town to prepare for her wedding ceremony. She was attended to by a small group of older women from the village, women whose job was to tend to the preparations of a bride. The old women bathed her, scrubbing her skin diligently to unveil the delicate, porcelain skin underneath. Flowers and warm water were added to the bath, the women talking among themselves and admiring her beauty. Even though Sango would be a fool not to smile and bow her head in appreciation, deep down she knew that this "beauty" had just been an added factor, another reason to give her such a terrible fate.

"I hear Lord Sesshomaru is quite handsome," the high pitched voiced of the woman at her hair took her out of her trance, "he is said to be one of most handsome Lords in the kingdom, Sango, he has these deep, golden eyes, and breathtaking long, silver hair," the woman went on, the desire in her voice painting a picture in Sango's head. It was the custom of the time for women to have long, silky hair. Her mother's hair almost touched her feet. Sango's had grown well past her waist but at sixteen, it would be years before it reached her feet. To think that a man, a daiyoukai no less, would poses a similar length in hair made her curious.

"He is feared by all in his kingdom, there is no match for him, he is just that powerful," the old woman added.

"A leader who is feared is no leader at all. Rather than fear, respect is most important," Sango responded.

"Perhaps," the woman said with a shrug, combing out the knots of Sango's long, dark hair and leaving behind silk, straight hair in her wake, "but if he can inspire that much fear in others, he must be quite a man," the woman added.

"That is no man, he is a demon," Sango added. The woman worked through her hair with her bare hands, her fingers delicately undoing any knot that she came across. The woman's face was wrinkled, the beginning of old age decorating her face like a badge of honor. Sango had met her in the past but could not put a name to her face, regardless, it would be impolite to refer the old woman by that name. Sango distantly wondered what kind of life the old woman had lived, wondering how her own life may have turned out if she had not been promised to this youkai.

"Marriage on this day is a lucky thing," the woman said with a smile and a sparkle in her eye, "the village fortunetellers have taken great care to choose a day that will bring your marriage happiness and prosperity. Remember that this is not a punishment, many young women would have been happy with a similar fate as yours," she added.

Sango laughed cynically. "I would be happy to let any of those young women take my place, had it been up to me, I-"she began but stopped herself. It did not matter how many times she repeated herself, there was nothing she could do to stop from becoming the demon lord's wife that afternoon.

"It is important to focus on the positive things," the woman added, "us women don't get many choices in life, see this as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. It is only in this way that a woman can truly become strong," the woman said with a reassuring smile but Sango knew, she just knew that this was an obstacle that would last with her for the rest of her life.

"Sango, are you still on about this marriage?" a familiar face peaked into the room, her mother's face broke into one of concern. It was an expression that she had worn from the time Sango had been told news of her engagement. Sango's mother bowed to the older women in appreciation before taking a comb to Sango's hair, her hand warm and reassuring against Sango's scalp.

"Mother, please," Sango said, her voice straining as if she were on the verge of tears. It took all she had to control herself, to stop the gates from bursting open and tears from streaming down her cheeks and ruining the white powder on her face. "Please don't make me do this," she added, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Sango could tell that her mother was on the verge of tears as well but her voice sounded constrained, "Sango, this matter is out of my hands, my dear" she said, somewhat regrettably. "This is the way of our people, this is the only way," she responded silently.

This was a fate worse than death.

0o0o0o0o

The preparations for the bride's room had started several months ago, when the engagement had been agreed on and had gone on until the early afternoon. House servants rushed back and forth, taking special care to make the court grounds as inviting as possible. The massive castle was maintained meticulously clean, but the change in season and the special occasion called for an even more throughout inspection of the castle grounds, the shoji screens were replaced with new paper, the tatami mats were replaced, the sleeping mats were dusted and aired out, the wooden floors cleaned meticulously.

It was customary for the son to visit on the bride's home after an exchange of letters, he was then to stay for three nights. If such a task was completed, the new groom would be welcomed into the family. While it was common for the groom to stay with the bride's family until she was with child, it was increasingly popular for the woman to come stay at the home of her new husband. Sesshomaru could not simply leave his post, and this was no traditional marriage of power and political prestige. The human girl was to come live at their residence, and therefore a place for her had been built, and she would stay there and in the grounds of the palace until she was asked to do otherwise. Often, the man would call on his wife until she was with child, where after he would visit her room only on special occasions, mostly spending his night away with concubines and other courtesans. Inutaisho had not visited her much, in fact, when the Lady Mother had realized of the type of relationship between Izayoi and Inutaisho, she had been asked to be understanding. Once she had become pregnant and threatened her own son's birthright, that is when she decided to take matters into her own hands.

The Lady Mother sat in the tea room, the screen doors had been opened to reveal the garden and to air out the rooms. She looked upon the house servants as they pulled the weeds from the garden, their careful work and absolute silent painting a beautiful picture of commoner life. Silently, she reviewed the preparations for the wedding in her mind. Her son, the groom, sat at her side, reading silently over scrolls on the castle's finance. He did not need to concern himself with the financial expenditures of the wedding, but he did like to be in control. The Lady Mother had seen to it that he was given the impression that he was in charge but after all, her words were the final say.

"Lady Mother, all the preparations have been made for the bride's visit this afternoon," one of the attendants reported, his eyes strictly on the ground as he addressed the woman sitting at the table.

"Sesshomaru, come now, it's time to prepare for your new wife," she said, rising to her feet, gesturing him over with her hand. The layers of her junihitoe, brightly dyed layers, drapping down her body in waves of fine silk.

"Mother, please enlighten me once more, why is it that I must proceed with this farce," he asked, slight irritation evident in his cold voice, "if I have not even taken a mate, what makes you think that I'd father any children with that human? Even the thought of laying with her disgusts me," he added.

"Father children? Oh my, Sesshomaru, please don't even tell me that has crossed your mind. Of course you aren't to father any children with that human, how disgraceful. It is a sign of respect, a sacrifice of sorts, human marriage means absolutely nothing to us daiyoukai but it does to them. Taking a human wife is almost like taking in an orphan, or a slave. She is to do your bidding and in return we are to offer our hospitality, keep her feed, clothed, and educate her. She will eventually grow old, then die, and there will be no need to take another wife," she explained plainly. "Once you've taken a mate, I will be sure to have her relocated to a one of our residences in the mountains. There, she can live out the rest of her days in peace without causing any inconvenience to you."

"But father," Sesshomaru started.

"Your father was a fool," the woman narrowed her eyes in displeasure at the mention of her former mate and father to her son, "he took things too far, and see how everything turned out for him," she lingered. Her mate had been dead for years, but she still felt uncomfortable saying such things out loud. Regardless of how strong she was, she had once loved him.

"And what do these humans give us in return? What could we possibly need from them?" Sesshomaru pressed on.

"Civil order, respect, and most importantly allegiance to you. These are serious times, Sesshomaru, take the wrong path and before you know it, your whole kingdom is taken from under you. Humans are not powerful in the way we are but a Lord must watch over all of the subjects and led them with a powerful hand. One wrong move and they will cause upheaval on the land," she tried to reason with her son.

"Then they shall all perish," Sesshomaru responded thoughtfully.

"Oh my son, so much to learn," she said with a sweet smile, "your father may have been a fool for falling in love with a human woman but he still knew how important it was to coexist with them for the sake of peace," she said. "There will be many long battles that will test your patience and your strength. Having humans cause trouble in the villages will only show that our kingdom is destabilized, as long as they know their place, it will cause less trouble in the end."

The Lady Mother stopped at the end of the corridor, watching as her son was taken away by the attendants to prepare him. She herself had once been preparing for a wedding of her own. It was not a choice, it really never was for the woman, Inutaisho had inquired about her after seeing her out and about with her handmaidens. He had inherited a powerful kingdom from his family but her family was renowned for their political strategy and had a stake in the world. She had never been asked, never been consulted about her wishes to be married. It had just been so.

This human woman would inherit no responsibility other than keeping out of her husband's sight. She would have to bear no children, no social expectations would be placed upon her, she would have no need to show face in front of others or entertain foreign guests. In return, this human girl would receive beautiful clothing, delicious meals, and an education. Oh, the uncomplicated thing it is to be human, she thought with a small smile.

0o0o0o0o

Everyone from the village had come to see her off, her tears flowing freely as she was taken away from her family, her mother, father, and little brother taking turns to hug her tightly and bid her good luck and goodbye. She would certainly see them again, how often or when she did not know, from today forward she would be expected to live in the favor of her husband. It was a day and a half's journey to the palace, one which she would take alone, apart from the welcoming party that greeted her at the edge of the village to take her to her new station. The welcoming party consisted of several guards, servants, two handmaidens, and an woman who called herself Meisho. While Meisho had a young face, based on her position and her words, Sango could only guess that the demoness was in fact hundreds of years old.

"Lady Sango, we will arrive shortly," the young handmaiden announced, pointing in the direction of the monstrous castle gates. She had never been to the castle before, there was never any reason to, and so the sight of the walls were enough to overwhelm her. This was her home.

Once inside the gate, Sango was helped off of the horse and whisked away into one of the inner rooms. Once again, Sango's skin was scrubbed, her hair perfumed, and her body weighed down by twelve layers of fine silk, the clothes that she would be required to wear during her time at court. There were so many things that she felt but no words could express how she felt. Sango was numb, going through the motions because it was expected of her. She blocked out the images of her family members waving goodbye with tears in their eyes, blocked out the fear and anxiety that she had.

"Lady Sango? Lady Sango are you alright?" One of the young attendants asked with concern, her face looking closely at Sango's for any sign of understanding, any sign of life. She could probably sense her feelings but as a handmaiden it was wrong to assume in the presence of a lady. In the castle of dog demons, Sango suddenly felt overexposed and burst into tears.

"I can't, I really can't," Sango said, her body sliding to the floor, her hands shaking, as she cupped her face in distress. Sango could not think about anything, could not look past the fact that from today she was no longer in her own home, from today she was a slave to the very things that she despised, demons. And, regardless of the amount of training she had undergone or how much she had to offer her village and her family, there was nothing to be done. And it was that and everything else that kept her tears flowing down her face.

"You can and you shall, human girl," a firm, cold voice cut through the room, the voice turning Sango's ears red hot as she looked up and saw the woman, whom she assumed to be the Lady Mother, standing in the screen door, the sun shining brightly behind her, obscuring her features and making her almost difficult to look at. Sango blinked, almost stunned and surprised, before she was nudged by Lady Meisho, and remembered to bow deeply, avoiding her eyes.

"Lady Mother!" The handmaidens were also taken by surprised, Sango could only assume they were humans or lesser youkai by their delayed reaction, the young women dropping what they were doing to bow before the youkai woman.

"Meisho, please see to it that the human girl is brought to her quarters, it is almost sunset and Lord Sesshomaru will be visiting her room soon," she announced, swiftly turning to take her leave.

Sango had never had the luxury of staying in such a big room before, she had not taken time to think about how these things would change once she became the daimyo's wife. With Lady Meisho's encouragement, Sango had managed to take her mind off of thoughts on how her life would change and to focus on pleasing her new husband. She did not know much about him nor of what he would like, but Lady Meisho recommended that she try her best. If she was humble, silent, and most importantly, docile, he would not bother with her daily activities. Over time, Lady Meisho suspected that Sango would have the liberty to roam the castle, learn anything she wanted to, and possibly even visit her family before the leaves changed color in the fall.

The location of the room was ideal, as she opened a pair of screen doors, she was greeted with the sight of the cherry blossom trees, majestic pink flowers decorating the many branches, petals falling to the floor and into the brook outlining a path through the middle of the castle. If she opened the screens just across the room, she had a view of the sun, deep red and purple decorating the sky as it began to hide in the horizon. The landscapes like something she would have seen in a painting. In the middle of the room was a curtained bed, material pooling on the floor and concealing her sleeping quarters from the cold and wandering eyes. Big palaces left little room for privacy but in the company of dog demons, Dango felt even more exposed.

In front of the curtained bed, a sitting are had been arranged along with a folding screen, made from several joined panels, images of Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, and fields of yellow flowers decorating its panels and bringing life to the room. Sango sat, admiring the beauty of the landscape when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching her door.

"My Lady, Lord Sesshomaru has arrived to visit upon you," a voice pulled her from her thoughts suddenly, panic making her heart beat faster and faster.

Sango scrambled to take a seat at the table, sitting on her legs nervously as the door opened and a short, green imp demon made way for the tall shadow behind him. It was the first time that she had ever laid eyes on him but even her wildest ideas on his appearance could not even come close to what he looked like in real life. It was hard to forget he was a demon, there was no human man that could be just that beautiful. His deep, golden eyes looked silently around the room, but his expression was unreadable. That was until he narrowed his eyes, looked down at Sango, and took a seat.

"Jaken, leave us," he said, his deep voice, smooth but menacing.

"Yes, my Lord," the little demon replied before scurrying away, closing the screen doors shut.

When he looked up at her, Sango immediately lowered her eyes and stared at her lap. She did not what to say, did not know how to react or what to do. Was she to speak to him first? Or, was she to wait for his question? Several minutes went by, the silence was almost deafening as Sango's mind scrambled to figure out what to do. She did not dare to look up but she could feel his eyes burning holes into her, his stare just as deadly as his kind.

"L-lord Sesshomaru-" she started, deciding that it was best for her to talk to him first.

"Human," he replied, before standing to his feet again and looking down on her, "undress," he added. His voice nonchalant, cold and uncaring, commanding her as if she were a servant, waiting for his orders.

Sango was in shock.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you very much for your reviews and follows! I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters.

 **Chapter 2** / Cold Hands

The words that had come out of his mouth were quite clear. In fact, Sango knew in the back of her mind that at some point in this arrangement, she would be expected to please her husband physically. To what extent or how often, Sango did not know. Many youkai felt disgusted with humans, the higher the rank, the more elitist they became. On the other hand, this also offered youkai an opportunity to live out personal fantasies that were otherwise unavailable unless taken by force. Sango knew very little of these things, and other than the very basics, her mother had often shied away from answering any questions that dealt with sexual matters.

But, it was a combination of her insecurity, anxiousness, and fear of the unknown that terrified her of the prospect of laying with this demon. She froze at his words, a warm red color spreading across her cheeks, embarrassment obvious on her face. She opened her mouth to reply but just couldn't find the words to express what she was feeling and therefore decided to just close it again, swallowing to provide a little moisture to her otherwise parched throat. Sango felt out of her element, the headstrong girl she had always been died away as soon as she stood in the presence of this demon.

Sesshomaru did not have to see her expression to know how she was feeling. The smell of her distress had assaulted his nose as soon as she had entered the castle walls. Her sadness tasted salty, an unpleasant flavor that lingered in his mouth. The closer he was to her, the more awful it became. Sesshomaru wanted to make this visit less of a social call, wanted to do what he was supposed to do, claim this woman as his property, show her her place and return to his room to rest and catch up on his reading. The thought of being with this woman was already repulsive, he could not even imagine touching her more than necessary. He would be quick about it. There was no need for sweet words and gentle touches. Even if he knew she was a virgin, it was obvious from her smell and even more evident from her current frozen state, he wanted to show her no affection.

He had only been in love once in his entire life. It had been so long ago that he had almost forgotten what it felt like. He had not forgotten the woman's face but he wanted to, it had been foolish for him to fall in love in the first place. He found himself briefly wondering if the human girl had ever been in love, had ever dreamed of falling in love and doing this very thing, being in a room very similar to this, or likely much humbler considering her status as a village girl, with the human boy she loved. He quickly dismissed the thought. It was of no consequence, he decided, after all, there was no need to dream about the unattainable, she would never know love, only responsibility. Her lack of movement annoyed him.

"Girl, are you deaf?" He asked, his tone sharper than he intended.

Sango felt as if her legs would give out under her as she stood to her feet, planting them firmly on the ground like an anchor, knowing that it would take little to bring her to the floor. The heaviness of the junihitoe, the twelve layers of silk were overbearingly heavy, along with the heaviness in her heart made it almost impossible to breathe. Her breaths came out shallow and drawn out, it was her way of willing herself to calm down. She felt sick to her stomach, the coldness of the Lord's stare almost too much for her.

Sesshomaru watched her with mild interest. He had not laid a hand on her and here she was on the verge of tears, her body trembling, the scent of her conflicted emotions thick in the air. She brought shaky hands to the tie around her waist, her hands unsteady. Frustrated by her incompetence, Sesshomaru towered over her, yanking the tie from her hands and pulling it from her body. He had had the pleasure of undressing many court ladies in his youth and had become an expert at pulling the complicated court dress apart. He never understood the need for so many layers.

Sango could not help but to whimper, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes and threatening to spill out as the demon lord pulled each layer from her body, piece by piece, yanking the pieces of silk as he undressed her to his will. It was as if he was unwrapping a present, no gentleness in his touch, ready to get to the very thing he was there for. He did so until he reached the undergarments, the kosode kimono coming loose from the force of his touch, the hakama pants a thin material separating him from ravaging her body.

Sesshomaru could not stand the human woman's tears. Her tears irritated him. He was a great demon lord, she was right to fear him. And even if the thought of this woman, the thought of lowering himself to lay with this human woman made him hesitant to touch her body, he also felt compelled to calm her down. The son of two great demons, Sesshomaru had never seen his mother cry, regardless of the circumstances. Tears drove him crazy with anger, they represented everything that he could not have: emotion. He would never publicly admit that he possessed any emotion, years of practice had created a harden individual, indifferent towards the stench of death, apathetic to the carnage of battle. But deep down, Sesshomaru could remember experiencing something, feeling excitement, feeling sad, and if he thought long and hard he could have said that he remembered crying once as well, long ago when he was but a young pup. He needed to find a way to make it stop, even if for this moment, to give him some peace of mind.

"Stop crying," he commanded but his voice softened. But, Sango paid no mind to the change in his voice.

Sesshomaru took the human girl's chin and raised it up to inspect her face. For a human girl, her features were pleasant if not plain. In fact, it was her ordinary face that made it so peculiar to him, she probably looked just any other human woman her age, small, round face, brown eyes, long black hair. Youkai women, especially those of the dog variety, were often admired for their beauty. Sesshomaru wondered distantly if her plain face magnified its beauty just because he was so accustomed to the faces of youkai women. Her eyes were a deep, dark brown, that had grown tired and red from all the tears she had cried. There were traces of fear but most importantly a feeling of uncertainty. Focusing on the task ahead, Sesshomaru closed the gap between them, planting a soft kiss on the woman's mouth, mustering as much false compassion as he could until she melted into his touch, her shoulders relaxing, her breath evening out. The demon lord's lips curled into a knowing smile as he smelled the beginnings of her arousal. He would not love her, that would be an unreasonable, but he could take her, as many times as he wanted to. This was his first experience with a human woman and he could not help but to feel a natural curiosity. After all, she was now his property, his to control.

This was not Sango's first kiss. When she was a child, she had been kissed by a shy village boy on a dare. It was not as much kissing as it was two young children pressing their faces together and counting for ten seconds before pulling away and scrubbing away the imaginary evidence with the back of their hands. Sango could not remember what it had felt like, but it certainly could not have felt like this, the demon Lord's lips pressing against her making the sound of her beating heart pound in her ears, the tip of her ears red in shame of her own desire. She pressed herself against him, feeling a little dizzy and somewhat desperate, his soft kisses left her breathless. He suddenly pulled himself away from her, leaving her to stumble forward with the sudden motion. Keeping his eyes on her as he took off his armor and swords, letting them drop at his feet. He stripped himself of his clothing, layers of heavy silk that kept him comfortable and protected against the elements while he traveled were discarded and pooled at his feet until he was left in his hakama.

Sango kept perfectly still, but as he stripped layers of clothing, Sango felt increasingly aroused. The hairdresser was right, he was a very handsome demon, possibly the most handsome demon she had ever laid eyes on. Even as his eyes, a deep golden hue, looked back at her, Sango could not take her eyes away as more of his flesh came into view. He had the body of a warrior, a strong body bearing the markings he had on his face, Sango's hand instinctively reached out before she pulled it back towards her body, holding the forward hand to her chest. As he stepped away from the pool of silk at his feet, naked, Sango couldn't help but remember to be embarrassed. She did not dare look below his waist, she did not want to even get a glimpse of what monstrosity lay waiting for her.

Sesshomaru smiled. Then, with the confidence that only a daiyoukai could possess, walked towards her, pulling the rest of her clothing off before pushing her down to her knees.

"L-lord Sesshomaru,"she stuttered as he kneeled before her, pulling away the arms that had instinctively gone to cover her chest. "I-I've never..." She started but there was no need to finish, Sesshomaru already knew what she was thinking.

"Of course you haven't," he whispered, pushing her gentle to the floor and then towering over her on all fours, his beautiful, silver mane brushing against her bare arms.

He kissed her again, this time beckoning her mouth to open as he explored her, tasting the sweetness of her innocence. He had never had the pleasure of deflowering a woman before, not out of inability but rather out of personal preference. Virgins were needy, unsure, and most importantly, simply took too long to educate. But, he felt a sudden change of heart as he looked upon Sango: her young, supple body enticing him as she took deep, labored breaths. She smelled of purity and arousal, a unique combination that made him even more curious about the human woman.

Sango whimpered as Sesshomaru moved from her mouth to her neck, running his sharp teeth along the delicate skin of her neck. He could feel the rush of her blood moving through her body, its temperature increasingly warm as her arousal escalated. He ran one of his hands down the side of her naked body, admiring her smooth skin, his feather-like touch raising goosebumps across her stomach. Her little whimpers were exhilarating. She squirmed against his body, excitedly as he moved his kisses to her collarbone, nibbing softly on the skin there. The red marks he left behind would be with her for some time, temporary reminders of his ownership. Then, without warning, he took one of her breasts into his mouth, tendering moving his tongue around the pebbled nipple, her hips rising to grind against him, her body desperate to easy the building pressure in her pelvis.

"Tell me human, tell me what it is that you want," he whispered sensually in her ear, pulling her ear lobe into his mouth only to let it go with an erotic popping sound, a sound that rang in her ears.

"I-I couldn't," she replied bashfully.

He chuckled, a deep laugh that resonated against his ribcage. This experience was quite different to the ones he had had with the youkai woman he had slept with. This little human girl was so responsive, every little touch enticed shy sounds from her little red mouth. Her mouth parted slight, her eyes closed as she reacted to the changes in her body. Her long hair fanned underneath her, creating an image of utter bliss, a poster for wantonness. No, no youkai woman could show so much emotional and be so vulnerable. With inuyoukai in particular, the game of sex took a much more competitive and somewhat sinister turn. It was not about gentle touches and sweet words, foreplay was similar to engaging in combat, it all focused on dominating the other party. But here, he was barely doing anything and she had already come undone.

"Tell me..." He commended more forcefully, his sharp claws gently drawing circles into his belly, noticing the faintest reactions. Sesshomaru suddenly found himself aroused, ready to take her like he had promised.

Sango could not think. Her mind could not look beyond the feelings her body experienced. She needed something, it was almost as if her body was grasping for something but she could not put her finger on it. Her breath came out in measured pants, her chest rising up and down in a rushed pace as she found in increasingly difficult to take in a satisfying breath. She felt hot and then cold again, little goosebumps decorating more and more parts of her naked flesh. Was she cold? She couldn't be, her cheeks felt red hot; even without taking a look Sango knew that her face was red, the exertion accompanied by the embarrassment and her feelings of desire made for a confusing mix.

"P-please..." She responded softly, in almost a whisper and then it was as if something had clicked inside of the demon Lord.

Sesshomaru was a man of composure, in fact he had often been praised for his ability to remain unfazed in the heat of battle. So, he could not understand why he felt so suddenly compelled to stop, turn her onto her stomach, and enter her without warning. She screamed. Of course, she would, there was no gentleness in his actions as she may have expected after he had taken time to taste her so carefully.

"Stop...you're hurting me," Sango shouted but her words fell on deaf ears as he thrusted into her, her insides felt as if they were being ripped apart. Her body was in total shock. Sango was used to pain, it was part of her training as an exterminator and she often did get hurt in training but this feeling went far and beyond her pain threshold. Not only was he a man but he was a demon and as expected, her body was not up to such a sudden challenge. She grit her teeth as she tried to tolerate it, the feeling of his withdrawing only to enter her again made her feel sick to her stomach, her hands shaking as she dug her fingernails into the thick, straw mats underneath her hands.

Tears fell from her eyes. And just as Sango thought about how much more she would have to endure, it all suddenly ended as he paused, emptying his seed inside of her body, and pulling away and out of her. Sango could not bear to face him. The little electric shocks of pleasure she felt at the beginning of their encounter had turned into a sharp pain, on the verge of unbearable, making it impossible to move from the floor. She gave up trying to shift her position, the pain too much for her, so she willed herself to relax, slowly lying her head and closing her eyes as tears rolled down onto the tatami mats.

It was not long before the demon Lord had finished adjusting his clothing that he walked towards the doorway. He had absolutely nothing to say to her, he had done what was asked of him, he did not expect her to understand. Her scent told him that she was in pain and that too was not something to apologize for, it was only natural, he had heard, for a woman to experience pain the first time that she was with a man. Human women often had a difficult time with youkai lovers so he was mildly surprised that her crying was mostly silent, her strength surprised him. But most importantly, he was pleased with her silence.

"Lord Sesshomaru, may we enter to attend to Lady Sango?" A small voice politely inquired from the other side of the closed screen door.

He did not respond. Rather, he curtly pulled back the screen down, pushing past the attendant and Lady Meisho waiting at the door, heads bowed in submission, their eyes respectfully towards the floor. They were accustomed to his behavior. Lord Sesshomaru was a man of few words, so few it almost seemed as if he were saving all of his words for some special event. He rarely acknowledged them, and had been that way for as long as Lady Meisho could remember.

The women entered swiftly, attending to the scene of the ravished woman with little emotion and much efficiency. Sango distantly wondered if this was a common occurrence, the way they worked to get things out of the way before kneeling down with her, ready to comfort her of the pain of her newly found womanhood.

"Lady Sango, you are now a woman," Lady Meisho said with a sweet smile, her hands gently wiping away Sango's tears, pushing the hair away from her face as the attendant considerately washed her body, gently easing away the tension from the young human's body. "You must tolerate this two more nights and then Lord Sesshomaru shall bother you no longer," she reassured her. If Lady Meisho had not been a demoness herself, she would not have been able to figure out how the young human woman was feeling, her eyes glazed over with emptiness—but her scent told the entire story. Sango felt deflated, anxious, and afraid but most importantly, she was in unbearable pain and was trying to fight through it.

In the way of custom, a woman could only be considered part of the man's house if she stayed three nights. These days, the villages had adopted more modern approaches to the joining of households, often holding festivities in the village celebrating the life of the new family unit. In Sango's village, life was so much simpler. Not driven by rank or social class or wealth, women and men often married out of love and usually led very happy, if simple, lives. In the world of aristocratic youkai, however, things were strictly formal and suffocatingly traditional. Sango felt that she had barely survived this encounter but had little energy to dwell on the things of tomorrow. For now, pain dominated her mind.

With slow, measured movements, the attendant and Lady Meisho helped Sango to her feet, her legs unsteady and her body reminded her of the pain, strong surges of it traveling up and down her legs, her stomach in knots and beads of sweat forming on her temple. Sango bit her lip, tears welled in her eyes but she refused to let them go. Everything had started so kindly, what had Sango done wrong? Had he acted like a gentle lover only to give her a sense of security before acting so ruthlessly? Her father had always told her never to trust youkai. And her she was, not even a day away from her family, acting as if this had been the first time she had ever seen a demon.

Lady Meisho and the attendant helped Sango enter a bath that was located right behind her room. It had been an area especially made for her, one that brought in mineral water from the hot springs, naturally keeping the water at a pleasantly hot temperature. She winced from the pain of sitting down. Nevertheless, Lady Meisho was gentle, allowing her to take her time to sit down slowly, her muscles visibly relaxed when she had managed to sink into the hot bath. Lady Meisho took a seat by Sango's head, gathering her very long hair and pouring water on it. Her fingers working through knots in her hair with a comb and some oil. Sango was unsure of what was in the oil but it smelled of something floral and it made her feel sleepy.

"I know that you are in a lot of pain. If it is of any comfort, the first night with a man is painful for any youkai woman as well. You are a very brave woman, Lady Sango." She said and even though Sango could not figure out if they were empty consolations or actual words of comfort, she felt content and closed her eyes, slowly drifting to sleep. That night, Sango had no dreams.

O

By the time Kagome had woken up, Kaede had already started the fire and was making breakfast. The smell of a delicious stew entered the hut, her stomach growling at the prospect of food. Kagome had been feverish since the previous day, her body recovering from expending too much spiritual energy. The old priestess, Kaede, had assumed she had been cursed and had gone through great lengths to exorcised the demons that she claimed were trying to feed on her spiritual energy. Kagome was not sure if she had possessed but somehow felt better, the old woman's knowledge never ceased to amaze her.

"Kagome, child, ye must go back to bed," the old woman protested, a scowl written on her face as she furrowed her eyebrows, adding to the many wrinkles on her face.

"I'm alright, Kaede!" She chirped back in response, taking a seat next to the fire, "plus, I am starving. I could really use a hot meal right now," she added with a smile, taking the stirring ladle from the old woman and gentle pushing her to sit down.

"Ye mustn't use all of your energy, child, a miko's spiritual energy depends on their health," the old woman stated. "Once, when I wasn't much younger than yourself..." The woman started but Kagome drifted off in thought.

Kagome nodded, she had heard all of it before. As the old priestess became older, her stories had become repetitive. Kagome had been living in the village for as long as she could remember, having been brought to Kaede after her village had been burned down by a rebel clan. Her parents had disappeared. At least, that was what she had been told. Some people believed that everyone excepted for a few of the children had been killed, the children spared because the rebel clan general could not put the blood of innocent children on his conscious. Others believed that the people from the village had been taken as slaves, the children being left behind by accident as they fled a counterattack by a demon nearby. But Kagome could not help but think that they were somewhere, waiting to be found.

Kagome took a bowl and served the old woman before serving herself and eating quietly. Soon, the old priestess had finished telling her story. It was the same one about how her sister, the great miko Kikyo, had once had to purify so many demons that she became sick. However, the next day, more demons came to the village that even in her sick state, she had to overcome her physical weakness to protect the village and had done so. Kikyo was dead now and had been dead for at least fifty years. Even so, Kaede often spoke of her late sister with much admiration. Kaede often said that Kagome reminded her of the great miko. Kagome could only hope to possess a third of the power the late priestess had but was still learning how to harness her spiritual energy. But, Kagome was happy to serve the old woman as a reminder of her past, it was the least she could do to repay her for her generosity and kindness.

"Child, once you've finished, go to the Sacred Tree in the forest, there at the base of the tree you will find some flowers, they are blue in color and about ye high," the old woman explained, holding her hand close to the ground to show Kagome with great detail. "bring them here, Sato of the village has been bound to his bed for three days now. I've got it in my mind to make him a good tea for his ailments," the woman explained.

Kagome nodded with great eagerness. It had been some time since she had been allowed to travel away from the village. Even if the forest was but a short walk away, Kaede had kept her busy at the village shrine, practicing, reading, and meditating to strengthen her mind and in turn further her miko ability. The old woman was getting older each day and her power was slowly diminishing. It was of utmost importance that Kagome trained well and trained quickly.

Kagome felt naturally drawn to the forest. It was her natural curiosity, her mind often wondered about the secrets that hid under the great big trees. And, even though she was hesitant to say it out loud, Kagome knew that she was particularly drawn to the forest because of him. The half-demon Inuyasha that she had heard stories about since she was but a young girl. Kaede told her of the love story between her sister and the half-demon, it started as an unusually romantic tale of two young people curiously falling in love, who they were of little consequence to the love that grew between them. But, the half-demon had betrayed the great miko, and in a twist of fate, the two suddenly found themselves at odds with each other. Kikyo sealed him to the Sacred Tree with her sacred arrow and then died, a painful death, in order to keep the Sacred Jewel from any other demon that threatened to use it for evil.

Once, Kagome had ran into the forest at night, looking for the half-demon Inuyasha, but when she found the Sacred Tree and found no one upon it, she had decided that it was just a fairy tale. Or, a distorted memory. Kagome had been disappointed at her discovery, but found it hard not to imagine the sight of what she assumed to be a young boy, handsome with silver hair, slumbering peacefully upon the tree.

The young miko looked up at the great tree, admiring it's height in amazement. Even though the sun was high in the sky, its leaves shielded her from the rays of the sun, a soft light floating down and warming her face. The wind blew softly. In the day, the forest was a haven for small forest animals, but at night, Kagome could only image the demonic activity that the forest attracted. After all, the village was a point of interest, Kaede was now the protector of the Sacred Jewel, and it attracted the attention of demons wishing to possess it and become more powerful. Kagome picked the flowers at the base of the tree, taking handfuls and stuffing them into her pouch.

But, before she could leave, she admired the tree once again. Her hand reached out to touch the sturdy trunk, her fingers tracing the spot where she had always imagined Inuyasha to be, even though she had never laid eyes on him, she felt connected to him. Deep down inside, in a way that she could not understand, she felt inexplicably drawn to this very spot.

"Don't they teach you human girls not to come into the forest all alone? That's how stupid girls like you get killed," a voice, deep and filled with bitterness, shook her from her private thoughts.

Kagome froze only to slowly turn around, her hand reaching for the bow at her back until she caught sight of the demon before her. His golden eyes looked inquisitively at her, his long, silver hair flowed down his back freely, the soft, dog ears at the top of his head drawing her attention and bringing her to a shocking realization.

"I-Inuyasha!" She shouted in surprise.

His serious expression broke into a malicious grin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I appreciate all of the great reviews, follows, and favorites! I will continue to work hard and hope to have another chapter up soon! Enjoy~

I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters in the story.

 **Chapter 3** / Polyester Heart

"Stay back, Inuyasha," the young miko warned the dog eared demon before shakily reaching for the quiver of arrows strapped tightly over her left shoulder.

The half-demon stood there with an amused expression on his face, and watched intently as she drew back her bow and shot an arrow, the weak shot landing far from his feet. Even though he was a dog demon Inuyasha could pick up her scent from miles away, and now the smell of her anxiety and nervousness was making him upset. He folded his arms across his chest, his hands disappearing underneath the long sleeves of his red suikan. Again, her arrow fell short of her target.

"Are you done?" he scoffed. "I swear you humans don't know when to quit," he said.

"What do you want, demon?" Kagome asked, puffing out her chest and trying to stand her ground, trying to appear much tougher than she was.

Kagome was terrified of the half-demon. She had little experience dealing with demons, especially on her own, as she was still training under Kaede and often relied on her and other miko for protection and advice. She was still a weak archer and had trouble focusing her spiritual power, especially in times of need like these. But, she was further shaken by his presence. In Kagome's eyes, Inuyasha had always been almost a fairy tale. She had heard the story from Kaede so many times and had often imagined meeting him but had never envisioned ever seeing him, standing here before her with such a wicked expression on his face. This was not the Inuyasha from her fairy tale.

"You know exactly what I want," he said, walking slowly to tower over her, "and you are going to give me that jewel once and for all, Kikyo" he demanded.

"K-Kikyo?" Kagome replied, taking a step back. Could he really not tell that it was not Kikyo? Kagome suddenly felt sad. Had he really beed oblivious to what had happened all those years ago? How awful it must have been to wake up from such a long dream just to realize that the people who relied on, who you once loved, had vanished just like that. Mortality was really cruel.

"That's what I said. Now stop acting like an idiot and give it to me," he said but Kagome was so lost in thought that she could not react as he reached to grab a fistful of the fabric of her hakui near her chest.

"Stop right there!"

Kagome had never been so happy to hear the old priestess Kaede's voice than she was that very moment. With swift, precise movements, the old woman pulled an arrow out of the quivel, aimed, and shot straight for the silver haired dog demon. But, even years of training could not be a match for Inuyasha's quick reflexes and before the arrow could even land on the ground, Inuyasha had scrambled up the tree and stood on one of the branches.

"Who the hell are you? You old hag, give me the jewel and I'll be on my way, no need for all this," Inuyasha shouted from one of the branches on the tree.

Kaede sighed in annoyance, "Inuyasha, get down from there and come to the village. Once you've had a meal, I'll tell you all about it," the old woman said.

Kagome turned to the old priestess in complete surprise, "What?"

Inuyasha grinned, "now you're talking," he responded with delight and ran ahead to the village. "But no funny business, grandma, or I'll have to sharpen my claws on both of you," he added threateningly. Now, Kagome thought decidedly, that was a completely unexpected turn of events.

OoOoOoOo

When Sango first awoke, she had forgotten where she was. Her stomach churned at the sight of unfamiliar surroundings and she panicked, her mind yet to wake up and remind her that she was here, in her new home. She sighed heavily, as if she had been holding her breathe for quite some time. Then, she began to stretch out her legs when she suddenly flinched, her body's soreness a reminder of the events that transpired the night before. With some difficulty, she managed to sit up rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she once again took in her surroundings. Rays of sunlight streamed in through the shoji screens, shadows of the trees beyond the door danced across the paper doors. Sango rarely lingered in bed. She had been raised a morning person and was often up and going right before the sun had risen. But, she found it difficult to move. It was not only a physical hardship, it was a mental one as well. She felt overly exhausted and could not quite remember if she had managed to get to bed on her own or if Lady Meisho had carried her and tucked her in. Sango felt emotionally drained and would have cried had she more tears to spill.

"Lady Sango, will you have your morning meal now?" A soft voice called from the other side of the screen door. Sango did not respond but made an affirmative sound after which the young girl opened the door, bowing her head before announcing, "I apologize for the interruption."

It was one of the handmaidens from the previous afternoon, the one Sango had assumed was human because of her delayed reaction when the Lady Mother had suddenly burst into the dressing room to reprimand Sango for her grief. Sango watched quietly as the young woman set out dish after dish, a generous amount of fish, rice, and salted vegetables heaped onto each plate, well above the standard portion. Unlike the wooden bowls she was used to, these dishes were made of ceramic, each one uniquely decorated with portraits of the season: cherry blossoms and what she assumed to be poetry intricately styled on each one. The young girl placed each plate before her with painstaking care, finding a place to sit in the corner of the room, with her head bowed submissively but very alert of Sango's movements.

Sango's eyes swept over the plates. She was hungry, exhausted mostly, but the hunger pangs in her stomach were not to be ignored. However, Sango also felt extremely aware of the young girl sitting in the corner and felt unable to eat comfortably when someone was watching her so closely.

"Please eat some of this food, it is way too much for me," Sango suddenly encouraged with a smile, moving some of the bowls out of the way to make space for the young woman. The handmaiden cringed visibly. The girl seemed conflicted and Sango wondered if she had done something wrong. Eating was a group activity in her village, little attention was paid to status or rank, the village elders ate with the common folk, it was people like that that Sango found easy to respect. Leaders that watched over their people closely and with kindness, not those that incited fear.

"W-what's the matter?" Sango asked cautiously her eyes blinking as she tried to understand the handmaiden's reaction.

"It's nothing, my lady, please enjoy your meal," the young girl replied with a strained smile.

"You must think I'm quite strange, you see, I am not of any royal lineage, I am just a plain girl from a little village in the mountains," Sango explained softly, smiling as the girl visibly relaxed, "was it strange of me to ask you to come eat with me?" She asked.

The young girl nodded slowly. "The servants dine in the servant quarters, my Lady," she said quietly then became a little nervous, "please don't think I was trying to correct you, my Lady, forgive me," she added for good measure but Sango only smiled widely, waving her hand in front of her face to assure the young woman that no offense had been taken.

"Not at all," she responded, "what's your name?" Sango asked, not having thought to ask before.

"My name is Chiyo, my Lady," Chiyo responded shyly. From her reaction, shy and somewhat hesitant, Sango assumed that she was not allowed to talk much and did so in measured amounts, as if she were worried that Sango would suddenly become angry by her words or would take offense if she spoke too much.

However, Sango was not in the least bit upset. In fact, she was a bit relieved that there was at least one more human in the castle, one more person who she could relate to and who would understand her insecurities and dreams. She picked up her chopsticks and tried a piece of the fish. It was absolutely delicious, and Sango made sure that Chiyo knew it by the sound of her satisfaction. Back at home, Sango made it a point to appreciate good cooking, it was a skill she always wanted to posess but never had the talent for. There was nothing better than eating a good meal. Sango's mother was particularly fond of her overdramatized expressions of delight and would often smile back at her and encourage her to eat more which Sango almost always agreed to.

Sango looked over to Chiyo, expecting a satisfied smile or gratitude but found none of that. Rather, Chiyo continued to sit in the corner, her feet tucked neatly under her, her small hands folded on her waist, and her head bowed down in respect, her expression hidden by the loose strands of brown hair covering her face.

As long as she lived in this castle, Sango would never see the expression of a human again. None of them would ever dare stare her in the face.

Little by little, she worried that living among youkai that were bound by honor and tradition, she would lose part of who she was, the person that she had been living as until she set foot in the castle, would one day vanish completely. What a sad thought that was. And it was that sad realization that made the food taste bland. Sango sighed heavily, letting her shoulders drop dramatically as she lowered her chopsticks to pause momentarily.

"It's nice to have company, that's all. I hope you don't mind," she said and Chiyo shook her head, "have you always lived in the castle?" Sango asked, trying to distract her mind from the negative thoughts that plagued her mind.

"I have not, my Lady, I was about 12 summers old when I first came to the castle," she explained. "My father had a gambling problem and I was sold to one of the brothels..." She paused momentarily to look at Sango's reaction. Noticing that Sango was looking on with avid interest, Chiyo continued to talk, "in the end, Lord Sesshomaru intervened and I was brought to the castle instead, I am ever grateful to my Lord for this, who know what my life would be like if it were not for his good-will," she responded.

Sango could not help but feel surprised by Chiyo's deep admiration for the demon Lord. After yesterday's events and years of experience in dealing with youkai, Sango found it difficult to ever associate human qualities such as kindness or compassion with demons such as Lord Sesshomaru. There was always a secret agenda, always a reason for such acts, always driven by selfish or cruel motivations. But, Chiyo spoke about the event, about the demon's actions with such happiness that Sango found it difficult to put her own doubts on the young girl's mind.

"That was lucky indeed!" Sango responded politely, focusing on finishing up the meal in front of her.

The rest of the meal was silent with the exception of the chopsticks lightly tapping against the ceramic plates as she ate. As expected, Sango could not finish the meal. In fact, Sango could not imagine how anyone, even a demon, could finish such a heavy breakfast and not feel even more exhausted after it was finished. Once she was satisfied, she thanked Chiyo for the meal and forced herself to stand up. She was still sore but it was much more manageable, the food and tea energizing her, giving her the little boost of energy that she needed to continue on with her day.

"Good morning my lady," a voice suddenly announced, pulling back the shoji screens to reveal Lady Meisho, "are you ready for your first day at court?" She added with a smile.

Sango only hoped that things would get more manageable from here on out.

OoOoOo

The day was beautiful and clear. The cherry blossoms had bloomed early this year and had already begun to fall, covering the front gardens in a sea of pink. Sesshomaru was particularly fond of spring, though he would never admit it publicly, and found the contrast of the ancient architecture of the castle and the fresh, delicate flowers to be aesthetically pleasing. So much so that he had once even written a series of poems about the feelings evoked by spring and the blossoming of new opportunities. He had disposed of the poems after they had been discovered by one of the servants, embarrassed that his gentle words would be misconstrued as emotional.

But, with the scene of the cherry blossoms, he could not help but feel decidedly drawn to the outside. He felt it was especially so since the tension in the room had been so thick, so suffocating that Sesshomaru found it difficult to focus. Sesshomaru wondered if his father had visualized the location for this room with the plan to mentally escape the burdensome conversations that were often had in it. Plans of war, battles, and punishment, all boring and mentally taxing to Sesshomaru; after all he had never been particularly fond of war, no matter how talented he appeared or how much he seemed to enjoy it.

The two demon officers had been arguing for well over an hour, a conversation that Sesshomaru had been promised would be brief slowly became drawn out as the men noticed their disagreements with each other. It was only natural for the two men to disagree, one of them, Akifusa, was inexperienced in war but very logical, and often very stubborn. Once he had decided on something, it was almost impossible to change him from his chosen course. On the other hand, Hiratsune was used to victory and often won over with passionate talk. Hiratsune focused on the end goal, Akifusa focused on the process. Both men were outstandingly talented; they had to be since they had been hand-picked by his father, InuTaisho. But, possessed qualities that the other lacked and therefore often found themselves disagreeing especially on the sensitive points of battle.

"Lord Sesshomaru, if we send part of the troops to this part of the kingdom, I can guarantee that the rebels will feel provoked and certainly attack," a man in armor, of medium height and medium build exclaimed as he pointed to the map. "We cannot afford a war right now," he continued on passionately.

Sesshomaru looked on with mild interest as the sobugyo, or field marshal, Akifusa, attempted to strengthen his point and draw the men's attention by tapping furiously on the map spread out on the table. Akifusa of the honorable Uesugi clan had been a member of his advisory team for well over a century, following in the footsteps of his father's service to InuTaisho, and several generations of fine military officers.

"The rebels will feel "provoked"? They're the reason we are at war, Akifusa!" Hiratsune shouted in anger. "Whose side are you on?" The man continued with an accusatory tone.

On the other side of the table, sat Hiratsune, the general of Lord Sesshomaru's armies and the man with whom he had entrusted the lives of a large portion of his best soldiers. Hiratsune of the mighty Oda clan had been winning battles and wars for Sesshomaru's family for as long as he could remember. The general had an impressive lineage and was deeply respected by every one of the soldiers on the field. InuTaisho, too, had often respected his judgement and almost always sided with his reasoning.

"Hiratsune, you're careless just like your father!" Akifusa responded in anger, upset by the man's provoking words.

"And who have you read about in the scrolls on the history of our great kingdom? Is the victory not on the side of those whose wars were fought by the great Oda clan? It's in my blood, Akifusa, in war you spare no expense," Hiratsune responded passionately.

"Enough!" Sesshomaru shouted firmly before their banter could get more out of hand. Almost immediately, both men fell silent, "Hiratsune, send a scout to this region so that we may be aware of the rebel armies whereabouts, Akifusa, head to the villages and increase the taxes, then travel south to Lord Koga's castle. It's time that we take them up on their offer for assistance, we can use the soldiers," he said in a deep, commanding voice. The men stood to their feet upon hearing the orders.

"Yes, my Lord," both men bowed deeply before making their way out of the room.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the green imp demon announced, peaking his head through the shoji screens, "Lord Hideyasu is here to see you," he continued, moving over swiftly as

"Lord Sesshomaru, I've come to report that the entire kingdom has been made aware of your new arrangements with your human wife," he announced gaining a curt nod of approval from Sesshomaru, "and..." He trailed off, looking over his shoulder at the imp demon.

"Jaken, leave us," Sesshomaru said, sensing that what would come next would be of utmost importance. At least he assumed so from the way that Hideyasu trailed off, glancing between him and Jaken as he waited for the order. But, Hideyasu's serious expression broke into a childish grin as soon as he heard the shoji screens close behind him. He sat across from Sesshomaru, loosening his armor before quickly pouring himself a glass of sake and downing it just as fast.

"So...how was it?" He asked in a straightforward manner.

"What do you speak of?" Sesshomaru responded. Sesshomaru was well aware of Hideyasu's intentions and had briefly wondered how long it would take the young lord before he sauntered down to ask him about his private affairs.

Hideyasu and Sesshomaru had been close friends since childhood. Hideyasu was a son born to one of his father's many concubines, but even so, Sesshomaru had never felt any particular hatred towards him. It was common, if not expected, of a daimyo to keep several lovers, fathering a child outside of marriage, while sometimes painful for the wife, was of no consequence to anyone else. The Lady Mother's position as the legal wife of the Lord of the household had assured Sesshomaru a position of great expectation since birth. Hideyasu's mother had died soon after he had turned six years old and it was from that time that he had occupied the role of a younger sibling and close confidant to the demon Lord.

Even from a young age, Hideyasu respected Sesshomaru greatly and had always supported his rule as daimyo. Sesshomaru never had reason to doubt his friend's loyalty and had treated him as a respectable member of the household, bestowing upon his titles and property. However, the two young lords could not have been more opposite. On one hand, Sesshomaru was calm and collected, private, and a man of very few words. Sesshomaru knew what was expected of him and fulfilled those expectations with a great sense of duty. On the other hand, Hideyasu was boisterous and forward, often saying too much too quickly, and usually in trouble of some sort. Hideyasu was content with his position in society but spent most of his time daydreaming for another life, heavily burdened by the tradition of his household. While Sesshomaru would have found Hideyasu's behavior on anyone else a nuisance, it fit Hideyasu quite well and over time, Sesshomaru had grown to like some parts and tolerate others. After all, they were both born of the same father.

"Don't be coy, Sesshomaru, the human girl, how was it?" He asked, "Different, right? Probably better than all those youkai whores you love so much," he said with a grin, pouring himself another glass of sake.

"How dare you assume such things?" Sesshomaru responded, slightly annoyed Hideyasu's comment but more annoyed with the fact that it was probably true. He had enjoyed it and lost control, but that part was not up for discussion. He was much too proud for that.

"Come on, tell me, it couldn't have been that bad," he cajoled, "or was it? She was your first virgin, right? That's tough," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"There is nothing to report," Sesshomaru responded firmly, "I did what I needed to do and that was that," he added but he could not help as an ever so slight grin, one so subtle that it would have gone unnoticed by the untrained eye, decorated his lips.

"Sesshomaru, you dog. You're so lucky," Hideyasu responded with an expression of mock jealousy, "the human girls at the brothel, they're lovely but you know, a virgin girl is a real diamond in these parts—but that girl of yours, Sango, was it? Now I'd love to sink my teeth into-"

Sesshomaru held his hand up, as if to signal Hideyasu to stop talking while he was still ahead, "she may be a human, Hideyasu, but she is still my wife. I won't have you talk about her in that manner to my face, now you know me better than that," he added. His tone was not malicious but it was serious enough for Hideyasu to get the message.

"No offense!" Hideyasu responded quickly, throwing his hands up in a sign of defeat with a grin on his face, "Guess I got a little ahead of myself, think the Lady Mother can set me up with a human wife next?" He asked with his signature grin.

"You truly are an embarrassment to our family, Hideyasu," Sesshomaru commented with a wide grin on his face. Hideyasu never ceased to entertain him.

OoOoOo

"I understand that today might have been quite demanding on you however I do hope that you will continue to carry out your responsibilities with much enthusiasm," Lady Meisho stated, taking a measured sip from the tea that had just been served to her.

Sango raised the cup to her lips, relaxing her shoulders before giving Lady Meisho a polite smile, "Court life is a little demanding," she responded politely.

"You are quite right, not to mention the years of practice we put in before we are introduced to court. From birth it is classes in dance, letter writing, poetry, calligraphy, history, foreign languages; to find a good husband, a woman must be well educated, charming, and a strict follower of the rules of court," Lady Meisho explained, "but it is a great opportunity for you to learn whatever you like, I can't imagine such opportunity would be available to you had you married a human commoner. If you ask for it and it is reasonable, I am most certain that you will be allowed to it," she added confidently.

Sango could not have imagined another childhood than the one she had been raised in. Learning the ways of the demon exterminators in a way had been the only education she would need to make a living and also to have a family when she was old enough. In her village, women were not praised for their ability to make a dress or write a poem, they were regarded competent partners based on their strength and ability to survive. Sango had learned how to read and write, after all her father was no fool and knew that education, even if a basic one, was an important skill for the new generation. But, reading and writing had its limits. It was her education as a demon exterminator that truly put the food on the table.

Sango had spent the morning meeting scholar after scholar, becoming acquainted with the demons she would be spending her time with on a daily basis. There were reading and writing tutors, mathematicians, dress makers, classes in complicated musical instruments and dance, the art of storytelling and embroidery, calligraphy and poetry writing. All skills that would mold her into a competent partner for a man of Lord Sesshomaru's status. But even Sango knew that years of practice were insignificant compared to the lifelong advantage the other court ladies had. In the afternoon, Sango was introduced to some of the ladies at court.

The women were both beautiful and intelligent. Sango could not help but look on with envy at their magnificently long silver hair, cascading down their back like refined silk. Their faces were beautiful and well balanced, the markings on their faces came in an array of styles but regardless of the difference complemented each woman well. Unlike her serious husband, their big, bright golden eyes shined bright with energy as they gossiped over personal affairs and hearsay. Even Lady Meisho looked unusually spirited as she caught up Sango on all the ongoing of court. But even in a room full of beautiful women whom she mostly outranked, Sango felt no comfort or hope for friendship.

After meeting with the court ladies, Sango had retired to her room for dinner and tea and was naturally accompanied by Lady Meisho. She felt somewhat apologetic to the older demoness, noticing how she longed to stay with her friends a little longer. Regardless of all the new things she had experienced that day, the only real thing she wanted to do was revert back to the life she had so suddenly been forced to leave behind.

"I want to continue my training," Sango said quietly. She had not meant to say it out loud but her heart and lips worked together to betray her thoughts. It was true, one of her true passions was her training. If only she could continue something of her own, then she could maintain a part of who she was.

Lady Meisho laughed quietly, covering her mouth to hide her wide smile, "I apologize for my outburst, my lady, but there is no way the Lady Mother would allow for it. You are the wife of a daimyo now, it is his duty to protect you. Why would the great Lord Sesshomaru need a wife trained in combat? It is quite unsightly for a woman to practice such things. What about poetry or literature? Or flower arrangement? Now those are some qualities even the Lady Mother would appreciate..." She trailed off but Sango paid little attention to her alternative suggestions.

Lady Meisho quickly quieted down when she noticed the expression on Sango's face. "I will consult with the Lady Mother and Lord Hideyasu, he is Lord Sesshomaru's close confidant and advisor, but I can make no promises, my Lady," she said quietly, a small smile forming on her lips when she saw the brightness in Sango's eyes and the wide smile that decorated her face. Sango bowed profusely.

"Thank you, thank you very much," Sango responded with a big smile on her face.

OoOoOoOo

Sango tuned in to the gentle sound of the night creatures outside of her door. She could hear the gurgling sound of the brook, the wind whistling through the trees. It was just this quiet as Sango sat upright, her feet tucked neatly underneath her and Lord Sesshomaru sitting across from her, looking intently at a stroll before him as he drank glass after glass of sake. Even though Sango was sure she had seen him down at least two small bottles of the warm, bitter liquid, he seemed calm and quite alert. After a drink or two, her father was usually a bright red, giggling and telling embarrassing stories, giving unwanted advice and singing traditional songs. He easily became intoxicated so he never drank unless he really had something worrying him. To see a man drink in this way and continue to act as if all was normal, Sango could not help but feel natural curiosity.

"Is something troubling you, my Lord?" She inquired gently, feeling her heart jump in her chest when his eyes suddenly turned towards her. His smoldering eyes consuming her whole with the intensity of his stare.

She could not look back for long before she began to fidget, feeling self-conscious as if there was something the matter with her face, or her clothes, or she had done something to upset him. Sango felt a familiar warmness on her cheeks, and could only imagine how red they must have been as she began to regret ever breaking the comforting silence between the two of them.

"Must a man be in trouble to have a drink?" He asked her, he poured himself another drink, this time however, he slid the glad in Sango's direction. "And even if I had some troubles, do you propose I confide them with you, girl?" He added, his tone was somewhat bitter. But even so, Sango could not detect malice in his voice.

"I may not be able to offer any advice but I am happy to listen," she added with a small, somewhat forced smile.

He scoffed. "The affairs of men are no place for a woman, especially not for a human girl," he said then paused momentarily, as if he were thinking about how to proceed with his next statement, "let me make one thing clear, girl, you may be my wife in the eyes of your people but in my world, you are just another face in my castle. If I were not a man of tradition and my word, you would not be sitting here before me annoying me with your petty conversation. So, be silent and when the morning has come, I will be gone," he said.

Sesshomaru had not meant to come off so bitingly rude however he had too much on his mind to entertain a conversation with the human girl. She stood there, her expression so evident on her face, eyes opened slightly wider in shock, while he could not see them yet, he could sense the tears of hurt and embarrassment threatening to pour down her face. The demon lord sighed heavily, admiring the intricately designed cup in his hands, before setting it down with a new resolve.

"I have had a long day," he started slowly, his words slow and selective, as he savored their bitter taste in his mouth before letting them out. Talking to others was difficult enough, making conversation and putting on airs for people he could care less for, was a role even the great Lord Sesshomaru was not prepared for. "Let's take a walk in the gardens, I could use the fresh air," he added silently.

Sango stared at him blankly. What an odd demon, this man. She watched him closely as he stood to his feet and suddenly opened the shoji screen to reveal the beautiful cherry blossom tree. Bathed in moonlight, Lord Sesshomaru was that much more beautiful. But it was not long before the beautiful demon turned back to her, his cold golden eyes looking at her menacingly, his lips pulled thin in annoyance. "Stop wasting my time, girl" he hissed.

And with that, Sango scrambled to her feet and followed him out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long wait but hope that you enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter 4 / Change**

Sango walked quietly behind her husband, taking small, measured steps, enough to keep up with his swift stride but slow enough to demonstrate submission and respect. But docility felt strange to her, Sango had been raised into a strong, stubborn young woman who had been trained to stare defeat in the eye until it yielded. In preparation for her wedding, Hisa, a middle-aged woman who had lived in the service of youkai masters for years had been employed to teach Sango the way of her new home. The youkai male's need for dominance and power over women was overwhelmingly foreign to her, and the thought that her new husband could be the same, could see a woman a lesser being, felt outdated. Then again, the youkai lived by old, cryptic rules that only served to tighten the reins on the necks of the already otherwise overwhelmed townsfolk.

Even if she did not agree with it, however, Sango knew that her happiness and freedom depended on how strictly she adhered to the ways of the castle. Lord Sesshomaru commanded respect, even if he did not directly demand it, it was obvious in his body language. His head held high, his deadly glare, the thin line of his unamused lips; his silent expression spoke in volumes. He was tall and oddly delicate, his body moved gracefully as if he were floating on a cloud rather than taking steps on the even ground below her feet. The graceful, deliberate actions of his body demanded attention and Sango was strangely mesmerized with his movements. Sango dragged along the long train of his junihitode, briefly glancing at her surroundings but finding it difficult to stay focus as her eyes always returned to him, the demon lord.

Sesshomaru did not have to look behind him to know that her eyes were on him, burrowing deep holes into the delicate silk of his robes with her consuming stare. He distantly wondered what was on her mind but did not have to guess for long as her scent made it apparent to him: slightly confused, somewhat aroused, partially embarrassed, and mildly angry. He could not help but smirk ever so discretely, her openness, even if indirect, was oddly refreshing. Everything was easy with this human girl, the scent of her emotions radiated in waves around him, laying out her feelings like an open book before his eyes. And he knew that if he turned to face her, those very expressions would play across her features without pretense.

The demon lord felt inexplicably anxious around the human woman. From a young age, Sesshomaru had been trained to read between the lines, to listen to what was unsaid, and to see what was not show. He could gain more insight about a man from watching the way he carried his sword rather than from listening to the words he spoke. Dog demons were particularly clever and cunning, masters at hiding their emotions through boisterous shows of kindness and good will. Sesshomaru could read past all of it without thinking twice. On the other hand, this human girl's plainness was bewildering. She did not have the skills to hide her emotions, she was a human after all, and Sesshomaru knew that she would not dare threaten his life; no training in the world could prepare a human for battle against a demon lord. Sesshomaru walked across the gardens in a leisurely pace, stopping suddenly as he crossed a red, curved bridge suspended over the stream that ran through the castle.

"The cherry blossoms are early this year," he began suddenly, causing Sango to abruptly stop and look out in the direction he looked at, staring at the sea of pink petals decorating the stream. The moon in the background shone with a newfound intensity. It was like a scene from a poem.

"Then I am lucky to have seen then, they hadn't yet bloomed in my village," she responded with a small smile, admiring the beautiful scenery. "It would have been nice to be with my family, though," she added quietly, "we normally have a big festival in the town center, they have puppet shows and games, we even get to eat delicious food. Was there a festival at the castle as well?"

"What a waste of time," he responded curtly, "we are at war, human, there is no time for festivals and games," he added sourly.

"Then even more reason to celebrate, who knows how life can change the next day or the day after that, the cherry blossoms only bloom once a year, after all," she added in a matter of fact way.

While Sesshomaru would never admit to it, he admired people that lived for the moment, like Hideyasu, who threw caution to the wind and made decisions based on their heart rather than their mind. It was not a sustainable way to live, after all, one was still to survive and even a moderate amount of carelessness led to a generous portion of trouble. But it was a nice thought, one that Sesshomaru often entertained in the little amount of downtime that he had. Nevertheless, the idea of making decisions without paying attention to social construct was a scary feeling. It was the easy route, Sesshomaru knew that following the rules was the easiest way to live and the only way to continue the legacy of his father. So even if a part of him agreed with her, agreed with the ideas of this human girl, he would not say it.

Instead he scoffed.

"What a stupid way to live your life. But I supposed that as a human your understanding of the world is quite limited," he added. "While the humans in your village celebrate the coming of spring, I think about the lives of the thousands of youkai men dying to defend their kingdom and protect your people from lesser, more devious demons," he said.

Sango fell silent. His tone was harsh and she felt that she may have offended him, even though his expression had remained the same throughout the exchange. Sango could not read him, could not understand this youkai man at all but felt strangely drawn to him. The sound of the thumping in her heart beat like a drum in her ear. She unconsciously brought a hand to her chest. What was wrong with her? His behavior was absolutely detestable. He was misogynistic, he was impolite, but deep down inside he cared. From his words and his tone, she understood his emotions in volumes: the war was difficult, he cared about the lives of his men, and his concern was not winning the war. Her information was limited but her mind was miles ahead, building an image of a solitary demon man, labelled as a villain, that had resigned to living a life of suffering and bearing the burden of social responsibility. In her mind, Sesshomaru had come to accept the torture of life, and it was times like this, times when he saw beautiful things that he was reminded of the life that could have been. But, even in times like this, he could not reveal the depths of his emotion. And like any other impressionable teenager, Sango found herself oddly attracted to this beautiful, distant creature.

Sesshomaru could read the beginnings of attraction in her scent and felt confused and mildly entertained by her response to his unkind words. Was this the part that Hideyasu found attractive in human woman? The fast rate at which they fell for empty words? Any youkai woman would have seen past his façade, his words meant nothing. In war, you fought for your kingdom, there was nothing more or nothing less. Lives were lost, men had to be sacrificed, villages were destroyed. Sesshomaru would not give up his kingdom to some insignificant rebels that did not agree with his way of ruling, it was his duty to maintain the honor of his family's name and he would sacrifice as many men necessary to do so. But, he would never tell the human that. He made it a point not to reveal the true motives behind his actions, in fact, Sesshomaru knew that the only way to keep control was to limit the amount of people who had access to the information. Plus, there was no real reason for this human girl to know his true intention.

"At any rate, I will be away from the castle handling some business," he revealed, "continue on as you are. I will leave two of my best soldiers here, one will be responsible for escorting you around the castle. Refrain from leaving the castle until I have returned," he ordered. She nodded slowly.

Sango had heard a story like this. A story about a prince and a kingdom at war. He was to leave his lover behind as he went off to fight a war that threatened the stability of his kingdom. On the night of his departure, the two young lovers met at the gate and kissed goodbye, never to see each other again. She stared at him but he did not turn to her, he looked out onto the stream, his expression hid his true feelings. But, Sango wanted to think that he was sad to be leaving the castle behind, and a small part of her wondered if his words meant that he was worried about her wellbeing.

"I will patiently await for your return, my Lord," she said, bowing her face in submitting and to hide her blushing face behind the curtain of her long, dark hair.

What a pitiful little human girl, he thought. The human heart was such an impressionable thing and with just a few words, he had managed to captivate her with his charade. Sesshomaru could tell in her scent that her impression of him had made leaps and bounds, her innocent mind creating an imaginary world in which a character with his face and a fabricated personality played the lead role. Her face and body language said it all, the scenery, the world, his distant personality had been interpreted into something that it was not and now the strong-minded teenager that had arrived two nights prior had transformed into a bewitched woman. It was this that he had wanted to accomplish. He refused to leave the castle without ensuring that she would cause no trouble while he was away. Humans were passionate and often cloudy-minded things, feelings of loneliness and regret would bubble into anger and frustration only to spill out in revenge. He knew that her words were honest, she would wait for him.

"Lord Sesshomaru," two men, both soldiers, approached them from the other side of the bridge. Sesshomaru did not have to turn to them, he had expected them from some time, after all he had an impeccable sense of smell. "All the preparations have been made, we must go now," one of them said in a firm voice.

"Very well," he agreed, turning away from her to follow the soldiers.

It was all very sudden and in an act of rashness, Sango reached out to grab the sleeve of his kimono, her hands bunching up the soft silk in her two tiny hands. Sango's grip was not hard enough to jerk him back but it was enough to make him pay attention. He turned to her but she had hidden her expression behind her locks of hair. Just for a moment, for a few short seconds there was silent contemplation between them. While Sesshomaru was never at a loss for words, he held his tongue, her action threatening to bring a malicious smirk to his lips. Her actions were so sickeningly sweet but more importantly, revealed how quickly her feelings had changed.

"I-" she started but after she caught a look at his serious, unchanging expression, she left the sleeves fall from her hands, her head bowed in submission again. Deep down, past his stoic expression, were words of concern and worry, she was sure of it, but in front of his soldiers even the great demon lord felt shy about expression them. She had started a sentence of understanding or maybe of reassurance but had no words left to fill it in with.

As would have been expected of the demon lord, Sesshomaru promptly turned away from her and walked away. He had entertained enough of her emotional nonsense for one night.

OoOoOo

Kohaku woke upstartled, the dreams had become increasingly gruesome, the thoughts that wandered into his mind were enough to make him wake abruptly, sick to his stomach. But it had been this dream, the dream that he had dreamt for the last few nights that made him feel especially ill, the dream of...no. He shook his head to will the thought away and sat up, the moonlight poured into the room through the small window, the light a sort of relief from the terrible events that had transpired in his mind only minutes earlier. It had all been so real, felt so absolutely authentic that the word relief could not have expressed the feeling he felt when he finally awoke to reveal that there had been no blood on his hands, no piercing screams like the ones that he had so vividly heard in his dream.

In his village, dreams were like omens, but he did not dare speak of death or the content of those horrible dreams in the light of day. Kohaku was so afraid, he knew that if he dared to speak the terrible events, they would most certainly become true. And, Kohaku could not live with the thought that he would witness such an act and be powerless to prevent it. So, while his mind reeled with images from the night before, he hid his thoughts behind artificial smiles, a mask of childlike innocence masking the dread he felt deep down.

He awoke to the feeling of a cool hand resting tentatively against his forehead. He had not realized he had fallen asleep but it was not long before his heart began to race and he shot up in his makeshift bed, pinching himself repeatedly to make sure that he was awake. The woman tending to him fell back, startled by his sudden movements. It took a few moments for Kohaku's eyes to focus before he realized that it was his mother.

"Mother, get away, please run away!" He shouted suddenly, cold sweat running down his face as he spoke the words with great alarm.

"Kohaku? What's wrong? Run away from what?" She asked, coming close to him and cradling his head against her chest, running her hand through his hand in a comforting gesture. "It's okay, my son, it's only a bad dream, that is all," she said in a soothing whisper.

"No, you don't understand, we will all die, all of us," he said before taking in a deep breath, a hand coming to his mouth in shock. "The young prince will kill us all, it's over, we are over," It would certainly come true, he knew it, now that he had spoken the words, there was no turning back. And before he could stop them, a stream of tears ran down his face freely, his body convulsing with anguish.

"Call the priestess, I think my son is possessed by an evil spirit," she said to the young woman sitting behind her, her calm voice masking her true feelings, her mind racing with morbid thoughts after hearing the young boy's declaration.

By the time the priestess had arrived to their humble dwelling, Kohaku had already fallen asleep, his forehead had only gotten increasingly hotter since his passionate outburst. The woman started a ritual cleansing almost immediately, sensing a demonic presence that permeated the room. While Kohaku was not per say possessed, it was obvious that it must have been demons that had made him mentally unstable and had caused him to dream such terrible things. Dreams were little premonitions into the future after all and everyone in the village knew that if one dreamt of death, there was certainly some truth to that speculation.

"Midori!" A male voice called out but it fell on deaf ears as Kohaku's mother, Midori, sat next to her son, holding his hand gently as she prayed for his purification. The chanting of the priestess drowned out by the sound of the silent tears running down her cheeks. She had already lost a daughter, the thought of losing her son was more than she could bear, "Midori!" The voice shouted more desperately. Midori heard the sound, but it was distant, so much so that it was almost as if the sound was not there.

"Midori!" a man threw the shoji screen doors open, startling both women. "We must go now, there was a demon sighting outside of the village."

"But, K-kohaku," she said quietly, pain evident in her voice as she looked between the man and her son, indecision obvious in her eyes.

"We must, Midori, this could be the demon afflicting Kohaku. He is safe here with the priestess, we must go," the man said, pulling her hand to propelled her up and out of the door. Midori looked at her son one last time, his hand slipping from hers as she rushed out of the door.

OoOoOo

"I told you! I'm not Kikyo! My name is Kagome" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs, her hands balled in small fists at her sides, an expression of obvious irritation written on her face.

Faced with the true form of the dog demon that had played a major role in her childhood fantasies, Kagome was more than disappointed. He had been nothing like the prince in the fairytales of her youth, not the man that had gone against Kikyo, blinded by greed and cursed to spend the rest of his life sleeping under the spell of the woman he once loved. Not the dog demon that had woken up to find himself alone, a void heacy in his heart after realizing his mistake. And certainly not the hanyou that would now spend the rest of his years wishing that he had not been such a fool, that he had seen things as they really were. The pedestal on which she had raised the young dog demon had all but disappeared. He was not only the opposite of all those things, he embodied the characteristics that Kagome detested the most: arrogance.

"You might of bound me to that tree but you didn't knock my sense, I know a priestess when I smell one." He said, sniffing the air to prove his point only to have a look of disbelief on his face. "W-what the hell? Who are you?"

"It's been 50 years since my sister bound you to the sacred tree, Inuyasha," Kaede spoke up as she handed him the bowl of hot stew, a serious look on her face.

"Your sister?" He asked, looking at Kaede up and down, trying to figure out where he may have seen the old woman before, "You're that little kid that always followed behind Kikyo, huh?" He said coming to a realization. "Then Kikyo must be like 100 years old and look like crap, serves the old hag right, doing that to me." He mumbled to himself and Kagome starred at him in disbelief.

"Doing that to you? Last time I checked, you deserved it! And if you must know, the great priestess Kikyo died trying to fix your mistake," Kagome responded in a matter-of-fact way, the irritation in her voice did little to conceal her true feelings.

Inuyasha threw his hands up defensively, "it's not my fault that you humans are stupid and easy to deceive, Ka-go-me," he responded, putting stress on every syllable of her name as if to irritate her further. "I told you, I'll take the shikon jewel off your hands and I'll be on my way. Let's do this the nice way and I won't have to hurt ya," he added with a malicious grin.

"And what do ye intend to do with it, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked thoughtfully, taking a seat on the floor with much trouble.

"What do you care, you old hag?" He asked before continuing, crossing his hands in front of his fire-red kimono, "I'm gonna do what I should've done 50 years ago, become a full-fledged demon," he added proudly.

Kagome could not help but to laugh out loud at his statement, her rich laugh piercing the silence in the room and causing Inuyasha to feel somewhat stupid, he did not know what he had said that was so funny but was particularly sensitive to people's laughter, especially when he was not in on the joke, "What are you laughing about?" He asked defensively.

"That's it? You want to use the most powerful jewel in the world for something so stupid?" She asked.

"What do you suppose I do with it?" He asked, his brow furrowing in anger, "Why make it if you ain't gonna use it. Seems like a waste of time protecting it, don't you have better things to do?" He continued, gulping down his soup in a few sips and pushing the bowl in Kaede's direction. She took it to mean that he wanted me and refilled his bowl without question.

It seemed like just yesterday when she felt that she heard the same exact conversation, a heated argument between her late sister and the young half-demon. Kaede could almost remember hiding behind a tree as she spied on the two lovers. She was surprised that they had not sense their presence, or maybe they had but chose to ignore it. After all, Kikyo knew that telling on young Kaede would also mean that she would be revealing information on her whereabouts and their father would not take lightly to the fact that Kikyo was so close to the half-dog demon. In fact, Kikyo had made Kaede promise her again and again that she would not reveal the secret of their relationship to anyone. How involved they were or how far their relationship had gone was not something she had thought about at the time but years after, Kaede realized just how deep Kikyo's feelings were when she could not pull herself to kill him when he tried to attack her for the jewel.

"Inuyasha, the jewel is no more," Kaede started, staring at him with a serious expression on his face.

"You liar!" He said, probably a little more passionately than he intended, "Where else would it be?"

"Kikyo died after she pinned ye to that tree Inuyasha," Kaede stated firmly, "she asked me to burn it with her body and I intended to, but the night before she was to be buried, the jewel was stolen from us. Whatever took it did not keep it for long, the jewel was broken and dispersed," Kaede added.

"What!?" Inuyasha's surprise and mild disappointment was clearly visible on his face, "how could you be so stupid? Who took it? Where is it?" He asked, rising from his seat, Kagome leaned back in surprise at his sudden reaction.

"Be silent, Inuyasha," Kaede said, putting out her hand to signal him to stop before reaching into the folds on her kimono and pulling out a small glass container attached to a string around her neck, "I summoned you here, Inuyasha so that ye may accompany Kagome on a very important task, you must recover the jewel, together," she said and it was Kagome's turn to let out a sound of shock.

"W-what? Go together? Priestess Kaede, he tried to kill me," Kagome said.

"Summoned me? What the hell? What makes you think I won't take those shards and go on my way? I don't need any baggage traveling along with me," he scoffed.

"Kagome is the only one who can sense the shards Inuyasha, and ye are the only demon I can trust at the moment to make sure she is not attacked while she gets them back. Once the jewel is completed, we will be able to defeat the demon that killed my sister. When I get my revenge, you may use the jewel as you like," she said.

Inuyasha knew what she meant, it was that demon, whose identity remained unknown, that had caused the two lovers to turn against each other with hopes to acquire the Shikon Jewel. Inuyasha had combed through his mind, looked over and over for answers to who would have committed such a thing. It must have been a demon that was aware of their relationship and had used it to their advantage. For years, Inuyasha had suffered the pain of losing someone close. He was no stranger to the loss and was still dealing with the loss of his mother at such a young age. He did not like the idea of involving himself with humans anymore, he knew that his human side did not bode well when he became close to them. But, if this was the step that he would have to take to both take revenge for the loss of Kikyo and to become a full-fledged demon. It was an expensive price to pay.

"Priestess Kaede, he killed your sister!" Kagome shouted out and then covered her mouth in surprise at her own words. Kagome's eyes shifted to Inuyasha momentarily before shifting to Kaede, hoping that her expression showed how apologetic she felt without actually having to speak any more words.

"Kagome, I have known ye since you were a child, I would never put ye in danger. Things are not as they seem, Kagome, but if ye intend to become a priestess, you must to this very important final task," Kaede responded softly before turning to Inuyasha.

He stood up, his fists balled to his sides. He turned away from the two women as they looked on, trying to read for his response in his body language but coming up with nothing. "We leave as soon as the sun rises, don't pack a lot and bring you arrows, priestess," he said, walking away to find a place to sleep in one of the nearby trees.

It was an expensive price but one he was more than willing to pay.

OoOoOo

By the time Kohaku had woken up, the sun had just started to set on the village. It was uncharacteristically quiet, and he wondered if he was still dreaming or if his parents had yet to return from their mission. He knew that he could recall them leaving, while he could not remember the exact reason or the time, it was a memory that stuck with him, as if he had been reminding himself not to forget. He did not want to forget that if he woke up and it was quiet, like this, he had no reason to be afraid because his parents were still alive, still out there. Kohaku called out to the priestess but was met with more silence. He wondered if she had left, or if she gone to gather more materials.

Had he been possessed by a demon? He did not feel so certain anymore. He had woken up thirsty, a strange feeling in his mouth but could not remember his dreams, and doubted that he had had any. The incense had almost burned out beside him, holy relics had been left unattended on the floor. Kohaku used all of his remaining strength to pick himself up from the floor and walked with staggered steps into the hallway. Kohaku did not feel pain but felt rather exhausted, as if he had sleep for too long, he assumed it was evening but he could have been wrong, he wondered if the possession had caused him to lose track of time.

He walked out of the humble dwelling only to be met by a sea of corpses, his family, friends, all of them. The dream, Kohaku knew that he must have been dreaming. He had to be because while Kohaku knew that he should be crying, knew that he ought to be devasted at the sight of the dead corpses, Kohaku could not push himself to feel anything. No tears, no outrage, absolutely no disappointment. It was as if he were stuck inside the body of a character in a dream.

"This is no dream, Kohaku, it was you who killed them all," a voice suddenly pulled him away from his thoughts. A man dressed in a formal kimono, whose face he did not recognize came to stand beside him, a satisfied smile written on his face as he looked on at the bodies with visible admiration.

"Who are you?" He responded. Deep down, Kohaku was afraid, outraged, but words passed his mouth calmly.

"I will be the one that will be taking care of you, don't you remember, Kohaku?"

"I don't know who you are," he said, his voice felt unfocused, as if it did not belong to him.

"This is all very well, Kohaku, very well done I must say," the man said, his hands coming together in a gesture of excitement, "come along, we must return back to the castle, there is so much for you to do," he said and walked away.

Inside, Kohaku was pleading, tears ran down his face as he saw the bodies of his parents, their eyes opened, their dead eyes staring holes into him, bodies turned down on a pool of their own blood. His heart felt as if it would burst. But, it was to no avail, his body mindless followed the mysterious man.

OoOoOo

The court ladies engaged in refreshments and gossip every afternoon but it was only ocassionally that Sango would brave the garden to join them. Sango knew that if they saw her face they would be obligated to invite her and if they invited her, she would be obligated to join them. It was during the afternoon that Lady Meisho would leave her and Sango would be escorted and waited on by another handmaiden, a different face every time. Sango knew that Lady Meisho thrived off of her meetings with the court women, the only time where she could be around her contemporaries and really let go, her occasional high-pitched laughter cutting through the silence of the garden. Sango did not mind that she attended, in fact, Sango felt relieved to have just a little time on her own. Frankly, Sango felt that a meeting with the court ladies was an even harder task on its own. Unlike Lady Meisho, Sango could not simply let go; conversation with a court lady went beyond common courtesies and social interactions, everything was complex.

There was a long list of ladies in the village, but there were only a handful that engaged in these garden gossip sessions. The group was rather small but elitist, and it was often reserved for the women that had really accomplished something, in other words, had the honor of being married to or being the daughter of someone that mattered at court. Among them were the wives of military generals and the daughters of scholars that had served the castle for many years over, many more years than Sango could count. Their social rank was not only evident in their lofty titles but in the expensive silks they wore, the golden hair pins they adorned their long, beautiful silver hair with, and the way they held their head up with arrogance.

"It has been some time since you've joined us, Lady Sango, I hope that our last conversation did not bore you," Lady Kino, the young wife of the general spoke with a small smile, her eyes coldly looked down at Sango as she took a seat.

"Of course not, I've just been somewhat preoccupied with my studies," she responded in what she hoped to be humility. The last thing Sango wanted was to get in any sort of conflict with any of the court ladies. They were quite powerful and were not afraid to their use their status to make her life miserable.

"Studies you say? Ah, that's right. It is quite difficult, I suppose, in your human village, you have little access to education and refinement, it must be very hard indeed," another lady, whose name she could not recall, added somewhat sarcastically.

Sango smiled politely and bit her tongue.

"Lord Sesshomaru and his family are quite gracious hosts, if my husband were forced to marry a human, I don't think he could manage, he is so particular about our traditions!" She added with a laugh. The other women laughed among each other, covering their mouths as was the custom.

"And-" one of the other women started before looking around and dropping her voice to a whisper, the court ladies leaned in, a look of excitement in their eyes, "I couldn't imagine how a human woman could ever please a youkai male, especially an inuyoukai," she added and the other woman nodded in agreement then looked over to Sango, as if expecting her to defend herself.

"I-well, my Lord leads and I follow," she added, the very familiar signs of embarrassment spreading across her cheeks, revealing her inner turmoil. It was not as if they did not know.

"Now, Lady Rei, Lord Sesshomaru would not take kindly to us becoming so familiar with his bedside manner," Lady Meisho interceded, Sango assumed to saver her some embarrassment and stop them from probing any further.

"I am just trying to offer some advice, Lady Meisho," the woman said with a forced smile, clearly annoyed with Lady Meisho's comment, "after all, some of us are well acquainted with Lord Sesshomaru's bedside manner, any woman that's been with him can't wait to open her mouth about it," she added with a knowing smirk. Other women laughed.

Sango could not decide if the small pang in her heart was that of embarrassment or hurt. Even though she knew very little of the demon lord, his popularity with women did not surprise her in the least. After all, it would almost be looked down upon if a man's first sexual experience was with his wife, at least that was what she had learned in a recent lesson on youkai tradition. But, Sango also knew that she did not want to hear about it, and had she been a dog demoness herself, these women would not speak on such matters so freely. It was as if they were marking their territory, trying to remind her of how insignificant she was in the grand scheme of things, and even Lady Meisho could not protect her from their vicious honesty.

As if fate would have it, at that very moment, walked in the glorious dog demon himself, his face furrowed in deep thought as he looked forward, followed closely by his entourage of loyal soldiers. Sango had not been expecting him and suddenly stood to her feet, the court ladies several steps ahead of her as they bowed their heads in submission. As was his nature, he did not acknowledge their presence. And deep down, Sango felt somewhat satisfied with his response. Boldly, Sango walked even closer to him, a big smile on her face, with hopes to grab his attention.

"My Lord, you have been away for so long, I am so happy you've returned," she said, bowing somewhat dramatically.

He turned to contemplate her but for a second. There were urgent matters at hand and even Sesshomaru was not ignorant to the ways of the court ladies. If this was Sango's way of showing off her status, he would take no part in her silly delusions of grandeur. He failed to acknowledge her directly, the soft sound of the giggles of the court ladies, somewhat muffled in his ears as he entered the meeting room, following in by a few of his soldiers and a very angry general.

Hideyasu paused, watching as Lord Sesshomaru walked on and turning back to Sango, the young human girl seemed deflated by his lack of attention but Hideyasu was not surprised, they had known each other long enough to impersonate each other if need be, Hideyasu was aware of Sesshomaru's movements, they were so clear, and so consistent. But, the young demon felt sorry for her, and wondered if her sudden indiscretion had been propelled by the taunts of the court ladies.

"Lady Sango, would you please allow me to escort you to your room? I've got some things I would like to discuss with you," he inquired politely and as expected, she nodded and followed him into the garden, bidding a polite but quick goodbye to the other court ladies. Lady Meisho stood up from her place to follow the young woman until Lord Hideyasu put up his hand to stop her,

"I need to have a word with Lady Sango alone," he said but her eyes widened in surprise.

"But Lord Hideyasu, even you know that meeting with Lady Sango alone is strictly forbidden," she muttered but he shrugged her explanation of.

"It's of no consequence to me, Lord Sesshomaru knows that I have no bad intentions," he explained and before Lady Meisho could respond, he turned away from her and walked into the garden, Lady Sango following behind him with uncertainty.

It was not common for unmarried women and young men to communicate in her village, it was only common that people of all ages were to interact regardless of marital status. Of course, as a young woman, her mother often encouraged her to have a good sense of judgement. While two unmarried people of the opposite gender may work in the fields together, it was an entire other matter to be seen together in the middle of the night, alone, having a chat away from the village. But, in the youkai culture, marital status not only laid claim on the wife, it laid claim on her time and most importantly, her eyes. It was considered in bad taste for a man and a woman to communicate directly with each other, unless of course, they were closely related, like a sibling. If communication could not be avoided, they often met separated by a sheer screen, the face of a married woman hidden from view, in the innermost part of the castle, only for her husband's eyes to see. Nevertheless, Sango also did not feel that she could refuse the young Lord and while she was not aware of his intentions, she hoped that he would refrain from tearing down her self-esteem any further.

"Please don't worry, Lady Sango, Lord Sesshomaru is very dear to me, I would never do anything to disrespect him," he said with a reassuring smile and Sango visibly relaxed. "How are you settling into the castle, it must be very different for you,"

"Every day is a new experience, my Lord, I am happy to be here," she added, but her scent was unsure, unhappy.

"I hope you'll forgive the court ladies, they do not take too kindly to strangers but...as you know, politeness calls for it, they've known each other for a long time," he explained, but immediately regretted apologizing for their behavior. "Has Lord Sesshomaru been treating you kindly?"

"Of course, my Lord, he is very kind," she responded quietly.

"Listen, I will be very frank with you, Lord Sesshomaru does not respond to this sort of docile behavior, Lady Sango. If you want his attention, as it is obvious that you do, I suggest that you are more aggressive about it," he said so suddenly that Sango almost tripped over the folds of her junihitode, her face red in embarrassment as she realized immediately what he was suggesting. He reached out for her hand without hesitation, almost as if he had expected her to fall.

"Hideyasu, have you forgotten your place?" The deep, cold voice of her husband startled her and she bowed deeply in apology in submission. Hideyasu bowed his head politely. "How dare you touch what does not belong to you?"

And there he stood, glorious and obviously upset, but at what she did not know. Without words, he gestured her to her room. Embarrassed and with feelings of guilt, of which she did not know why, Sango hurried off to her room, too afraid to look back and encourage more of the demon lord's anger.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait and rather short chapter. I hope that you all enjoy it and please continue to review, I appreciate the encouragement. I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters in the Inuyasha franchise.

Chapter 5 /The Betrayal

"Sesshomaru, there is no need to put on airs, it's obvious that she likes you, stop acting like you don't like the attention," Hideyasu said after a few moments, knowing that Sango was not close enough to hear their conversation. He had caught sight of her expression as soon as Sesshomaru had appeared, the fear in her eyes were obvious, and her scent revealed hints of uncertainty. He knew that the demon lord was not as angry as he sounded, but it was in his nature to be coarse; Sesshomaru's outdated beliefs on inspiring fear rather than respect were qualities that had been passed down through generations of the elite dog demon lineage. Hideyasu was grateful that he had been spared from such absurd expectations. Nevertheless, even he knew how important it was for Sesshomaru to maintain an image and so he waited until he was sure that she had entered her room and had closed the door, the soft thud in the distance confirmed it.

"I do not "like" the attention, Hideyasu, I tolerate it," Sesshomaru responded, he was visibly upset but no more so than he usually was. While Sesshomaru had remarkably softened his behavior towards Sango, much more than he ever would for his contemporaries, he also knew that her perception was just as simple as her upbringing, and to maintain a comfortable level of peace, he had to show her his emotions clearly. The demons at court were not surprised by this shift in behavior, many of his men worked with humans on a daily basis and needed to be clear; confusion in intention caused problems down the line, especially if a human interpreted lack of emotion with carelessness. However, Sesshomaru had never thought to account for Hideyasu. The dog demon that knew better but chose to provoke, to ask, and to use the unfortunate situation of Sesshomaru and Sango's marriage to fulfill a delusion theory that he had held on for years: that like the great Lord InuTaisho, Sesshomaru would one day, too, fall in love with a human being and ultimately change for the better.

There was absolutely no weight to such foolish claim, Sesshomaru himself was certain of it. And while he normally dismissed his close friend's fantasies, after all, the dog demon lord had never been afflicted by mere words, it was the particular aim that Hideyasu took towards Sango, that he found distinctly unnerving. The impressionable teenage girl had convinced herself that Sesshomaru held a sort of repressed romantic feeling towards her, an idea that had firmly anchored itself in her head on the day of his departure. And Hideyasu sought to pursue that fantasy alongside her, adding fuel to the fire as it were. It was this sentiment that did not sit well with Sesshomaru, "but I will not allow you to disrespect me in this way, not in front of the court women, not in front of my wife," he added.

"Ah—so this is about disrespect," Hideyasu said, sarcasm evident in his voice as he grinned in the demon lord's direction. "Not about jealousy?"

"Don't make me laugh, Hideyasu. I should be jealous of you? You forget yourself." Sesshomaru responded turning on his heel and walking towards his conferencing room. He would not entertain this sort of talk from the young dog demon, no matter how close they had been in their youth. Hideyasu followed closely behind, the grin on his face immediately disappearing as soon as he entered the room and saw the other men seated on the floor. It was a small group of ten men, all high-ranking officers in Sesshomaru's army. It had been the meeting that Sesshomaru had intended to begin and be over with before Hideyasu had run off to gossip with his human bride.

"I apologize for the delay, gentlemen, it seems that Hideyasu has forgotten his manners," Sesshomaru announced briefly, his tone light but his expression cold. "As you know, I just returned from a rather productive conversation with the lords in the neighboring lands. But, I have been made aware that a particular incident occurred in the exterminator's village, and all members save for the young brother of my human wife, have been massacred," he continued on, his face unchanging even as he related the horrible news.

The men whispered among themselves, slight shock evident on their faces. "While I have not yet identified the culprit, I can most certainly guarantee that the work was of a demon, I am yet unsure of the child's involvement in the matter," he added, "Akifusa, find the child and see to it that he is brought here to face proper punishment, and Hiratsune, go to the surrounding villages and find any information that will lead us closer to this lesser demon, I will take care of the demon myself," he finished. Then, narrowing his eyes towards Hiratsune, a rather sinister look on his face, he extended his instructions, "use any means necessary to get to the bottom of this immediately. Any resistance from the humans or any other creature is to be met with certain death."

And with those words, Sesshomaru left the room.

OoOoOoOo

As soon as Sango entered her sleeping quarters, she spotted Lady Meisho in the corner, sitting on her legs, a look of anger evident on her face. Sango knew that demonesses were capable of concealing their emotions well, so she wondered if her showy displays of anger were so that Sango would take notice of how much frustration she felt, and thinking that this may be the case, made her even more worried to enter. Sango knew that going off with Hideyasu alone was not particularly acceptable. Not only was she married, her husband was the Lord of highly coveted territories. News of her private conversation with Hideyasu, her husband's closest friend, could turn into a rumor about a secret affair. Then, it would become an allegory of how Lord Sesshomaru was unable to take control of his own wife, a symbol of his inability to control his own lands. A similar situation had been described to her on an occasion or two, the roles of court women and wives an important lesson she was reminded of on a daily basis.

However, Sango had also been reminded to follow orders obediently and without question. How could two very complicated rules coexist without a problem? Lord Hideyasu did not outrank Sesshomaru but he certainly outranked her, Lord Hideyasu was well-versed in the rules pertaining courtly behavior, therefore Sango thought it unwise to defy him, less she insinuate that she knew something he did not. In this case, Sango felt that by following his orders, she had chosen the less of two evils. So, before Lady Meisho could berate her for her bad behavior, Sango intended to make her case to gain some leverage on the tense situation in the room.

"But Lord Hideyasu-" she began but was quickly cut off by the powerful voice of the angry demoness.

"Then show some restraint, Sango!" Lady Meisho responded, her voice loud, inspiring fear in the young human. "I-I apologize for my outburst, my lady," she said suddenly, she willed herself to call down, "but please understand that you actions not only reflect on you but on all the staff that have been put in charge of taking care of you," she added. "The Lady Mother does not take kindly to this sort of uncourtly behavior," she said.

"I apologize for my behavior, Lady Meisho," Sango responded meekly, "And if the Lady Mother finds out, then I will certainly apologize for my behavior then and tell her that you nor any others were involved in my decision," she added. It was not much of a guarantee, but it was the only thing that she could promise, no matter how terrified she was of the Lord Mother herself.

"Lady Sango, it is not a matter of if as it is of when," Lady Meisho began but upon catching a glimpse of Sango's downtrodden expression, decided to refrain from her cautionary tale and to try to sympathize with the human woman, "What did Lord Hideyasu want to say?"

"I-He advised me to be more aggressive, as my docility would get me nowhere with Lord Sesshomaru," Sango responded almost immediately, not wishing to give her the impression that she had something to hide.

"And this is what you wish? For Lord Sesshomaru to take more personal interest in you? Not long ago you were crying and begging to go home," Lady Meisho responded, the tone of her voice lighting up as she caught the meaning of the words.

Sango could not respond intelligently and instead chose to be silent, an obvious blush spreading from the bridge of her nose evenly over her two cheeks. Her innocent, childlike appearance caused Lady Meisho's façade to break into a slight smile. Lady Meisho was not surprised, she knew that it would not be long before Sango took a liking to the young demon lord and it was also then that she thought about how miserable her life would be going forward. But, it was not her place to reveal such things to the human girl and therefore Lady Meisho continue to smile, amused by Sango's child-like reaction.

"I-He is my husband after all," Sango responded simply.

"If that is your intention then I think you will do well to please him, my lady," she responded with a small smile, "it is now time for your calligraphy class, Lady Sango, I will return at sundown to join you for dinner," she added.

Sango nodded and rose to her feet, dragging the heavy weight of the junihitode behind her as she gently opened the screen door, excusing herself with a deep bow once she was out of the door. Her mood had lightened significantly, thoughts of how she could demonstrate more boldness flooded her mind with scenarios that would most likely never play out in real life. The Sango in her mind was bold, beautiful, and irresistible. However, the Sango in real life felt intimidated by the lord demon's imposing presence, his expressionless eyes and strict demeanor making it difficult for her to guide her emotions.

"Isn't it much too early for these sort of fantasies, Lady Sango?" A voice behind her took her by surprise, her face darkening in embarrassment as if the person before her could read her very mind and the uncharacteristically graphic content passing through it.

"L-lady Rei," she responded quickly, bowing deeply in respect of the demoness.

Lady Rei was one of the more respected court ladies even though she was probably on the younger side. Her father had been a famed general for Lord Inutaisho's army before dying at the hands of a traitor in his army during one of his many expeditions for new territory. Lady Rei and Lord Sesshomaru had practically known each other for years, if not centuries. So, it was not surprising that once there had even been talks of marriage between the two. While Sango was not aware of how their relationship ended, she did know that Lady Rei was an influential part of the household, and it was in her best interest to both respect her and yield to her, even in times of discomfort such as these.

"Oh sweet Lady Sango, have you been fantasizing about our Lord Sesshomaru, my dear?" She asked, her face distorting into a face of false concern, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I remember that time, of course in my case, it was more doing that fantasizing. If you'd like, I'd be happy to tell you all about what he enjoys, if you intend to really please him, of course," she continued, her voice softening as she leaned into young Sango.

"I-" Sango started, unsure of how to respond to such a statement. Should she be jealous of Lady Rei's familiarity with her husband? Was it her place to remind Lady Rei that such talk was not only unladylike but rude to her, as the wife of the man she spoke of? Nevertheless, before she had the chance to respond, Lady Rei had suddenly lowered her head in a deep bow.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she said and Sango quickly turned around, her eyes widening in shock as she quickly remembered to also bow, reprimanding herself for not noticing him sooner.

"Sango, come with me," he said, walking past both women without acknowledging Lady Rei.

It was a small victory in her head and with a small smile, Sango obediently followed behind her husband.

OoOoOoOo

"Lady Sango, the servants will be going to the temple nearby...if you would like to come, please let me know," one of the servants, a young boy about Kohaku's age, suddenly spoke, startling Sango, who was deep in thought as she practiced her calligraphy. If he had called out to her before opening the door, she would not have known, she had not heard anything.

"The temple? What for?" She asked, it was not a common practice from what she observed in the last few weeks.

"I.." The boy started but before he had the opportunity to continue, Sango could hear the angry shouts of an older woman, who chased after him before stopping in front of Sango with a deep bow, "Lady Sango, I apologize for the disturbance," she said apologetically.

"It's no bother. What is this talk about the

The woman eyed her young son with anger before looking around nervously, "there has been a massacre at nearby village, it is not much but we wanted to pray on behalf of their souls, so that they may have a safe journey into the afterlife," she explained in an almost whisper.

"If that's the case then I should go as well," Sango resolved, wiping her hands on the small wet, cloth in front of her before rising to her feet. The woman seemed nervous but instead chose to bow deeply and comply with her words.

The journey to the temple was a short one up a small hill. It was surprisingly close to the castle however Sango figured that if humans were often part of the ongoing at court, it would be best to keep them happy by allowing them to practice their own religions. The temple was small but elaborately decorated. As it was on a hill, it gave one a magnificent view of the skyline, in the far distance, Sango could see smoke rise from the surrounding human villages and felt comforted by the fact that she could see that far. While Sango could not pinpoint the exact location, she distantly wondered if any of those small clusters of thatched houses belonged to her village. She wondered about her mother and her father's health, and desperately wished to see her younger brother.

A young monk, approached them as they arrived at the front gate, "What a pleasant surprise, the entourage gets bigger every time," he said with a short chuckle before a man, one of the men she had seen once or twice around the kitchen walked forward and spoke up.

"Miroku, we have come to pray to safeguard the souls of the village..." the man said silently trailing off but the monk nodded, as if he understoodwhat they needed without a moment further.

"And this beautiful young woman must be..." He started, laying eyes on Sango, who stood in her junihitode, her eyes cast down in some sort of humility, and embarrassment at being cast into the spotlight of an otherwise unpleasant conversation.

"Lady Sango," one of the guards said sternly, moving to stand in front of her as to avert the young monks heavy gaze.

"Right this way," he said with a smile, as he led them into the inner chambers of the temple.

OoOoOoOo

Near midnight, Sango suddenly awoke from a strange dream. She could not remember many significant details; however, she knew enough to feel afraid and thought of her brother, Kohaku. She wondered how he was and how things in the village were. Sango knew that if she kept Lord Sesshomaru happy, there would be no reason for him to stop her from visiting her family in time for the village's summer festival. She very much wanted to bring them to see her at the castle, and deep down even wished that they could stay with her there. However, there was no time for wishful thinking. Feeling oddly hungry and remembering that she had skipped dinner, Sango quietly moved towards the kitchen. It need not be a big deal, she figured, if she went into the kitchen for a small snack before returning to bed. However, as she approached, she was startled by the group of kitchen hands, sitting in tears around a fire. She ducked behind a bush near the kitchen area, she could not make out the faces of those talking, but she was close enough to make out their words.

"It's a real pity, it is so sad," one of the kitchen workers said, Sango could not see their faces but she assumed that they spoke about the village that had been massacred.

"Aiko, these things happen," some else responded, the depth of the voice told her it was a man but she knew little of the workers in the castle, "all we can do is pray for our safety and hope that the sacrificed villagers get their due in the afterlife," he continued. "I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru will..."

"You really think a demon cares about the death of humans?" A new voice, another woman responded, cutting the man off, the tone of her voice rose, "if anything he probably sees this as a favor," the woman continued bitterly.

"Aiko, what are you crying about now? What can we do? What's done is done," the man said, his voice agitated with the soft whimpers of the woman who Sango assumed to be Aiko.

"I don't want to keep it a secret, from her.." She responded.

"You can't tell her, it's strictly forbidden. If Lord Sesshomaru finds out that you told, which he would right away, he'll have all of our heads,"

"But think about Lady Sango!" Aiko responded in a louder whisper, "when she finds out that it is her village that was massacred, how will she react?"

Sango could not hear the conversation after that. Her ears went numb, tears welled up in her dark brown eyes when she came to the realization that in fact, the village, her people, had been massacred. It had been days since the incident and it was only today, through the secret whispers of the castle workers that she came to realize that in fact, everyone in the castle probably knew. Everyone knew from the beginning and here she was, carefree and unaware while the bodies of her mother, her father, everyone she loved had vanished just like that. There was a heavy feeling in her chest,

"Lady Sango?" She heard as a hand reached out to touch her shoulder but Sango screamed. Not of fright but of utter frustration, her hands balling into tight fists, her ears drowning out the sound of the person calling her name as she made her way to the man responsible for this, her husband.

All proper protocol, all ladylike behavior had been quickly forgotten as she made her way to the meeting room, her heart pounding in her chest, tears running down her face freely, her hands shaking with both anger and grief. The flickering light and murmuring conversation made it evident that he was entertaining guests, or at least holding a meeting. But, Sango could not slow down the emotions overtaking her enough to think things through, to remind herself that Lord Sesshomaru was an intimidating demon who would not tolerate her disrespect in any shape or form, regardless of her mental state. And it was with these emotions that she suddenly pulled open the paper screen door, her eyes red with fresh tears.

"How dare you?" She said, ignoring the comments of the demon men seated in the room, her eyes trained on Sesshomaru, his unchanging expression angering her beyond belief.

"Sango, this is neither the place nor time," he responded softly, rising to his feet to tower over her, his expression hardening with her indiscretion.

"You knew, you've known all along that they were killed and you said nothing to me?" The tone of her voice escalated further, the eyes of the other men in the room shifting uncomfortably between the demon lord and the young human woman.

Before she could embarrass him further, Sesshomaru pulled Sango from the room, her pulling and pushing no match to his strong grip, his long claws just short of breaking into the tender skin of her upper arm. He pushed her into one of the many unoccupied rooms in the castle. Any demon with sensitive hearing in the castle would hear her shouting but it felt like the most privacy he could afford on such short notice.

"Sango, don't make me tell you again, go back to your room," he said again, quietly but threateningly. His eyes narrowing and his expression darkening with anger.

"Go to hell, you-" she began before she was thrown off balance as his heavy hand connected with her soft cheeks, the loud slap ringing in her ears as she fell to the ground, her hand coming up to cup her face, her cool hand a soothing contrast with her burning cheek. Sango slouched to the floor and tried to suppress her soft whimpers as her tears flowed freely, "you should have told me..." She started slowly, her voice softening significantly as if her hysterical outburst had suddenly been subdued.

"And would you have reacted with more sense?" Sesshomaru began, "Don't be stupid, human, you can cry about it as much as you want but there is nothing that you could have done to prevent it," he added.

Sango took a deep breath, bringing herself to her knees as she looked down into her lap. He was right, at least she knew deep down that he had a point but she could still fill the knot in her throat, the feeling that at any moment, she would again break down into tears. Sango had been raised an exterminator, had learned that death and blood were a part of her tribe, her life, and her people, but nothing, not even years of training or the emotional coldness of her spouse, could have prepared her to deal with the death of the people closest to her.

"Once you've collected yourself, go back to your room," he commanded and turned away from her and towards the door. But, before he could move an inch forward, she grabbed a hold of his pant, bunching the soft silk in her hands, her eyes, and melancholy, looking up to his golden ones, looking for any sign of pity. There was none.

"Please...please don't leave me alone," she pleaded with him. "Please help me forget about this...at least for tonight," she continued softly.

As a human, she was born weak. But it was this particular brand of vulnerability that he found attractive about her. Like the first time, kneeling in front of him in tears. It was the way he liked her best. He dropped to his knees, pulling her in for a kiss, his tongue exploring her warm mouth, his tongue guiding hers in a soft, almost romantic dance. She melted into him, her heart speeding up with arousal, the anger with which she had presented herself only moments prior replaced by a need to let go. Boldly, she brought her hands up to him, her short nails digging into his arms softly and almost desperately, she would not let him go. He pulled back, giving her a moment or two to breathe before kissing her again, and then again, her taste intoxicating him, pulling him into for more.

And then he pulled away, a small smirk decorating his lips as he heard her whimper at the sudden loss of warmth, "regain your composure and return to your room, human," he commanded before effortlessly standing up and walking out of the door.


End file.
